Friends and Lovers 3 of Loyal Hearts by Rielle
by Gabrielle Baer
Summary: A wedding that many in Salem,USA never thought could possibly happens is taking place surrounded by memories, friends, kinfolk and yes, of course, lots of trouble.
1. Chapter 1

Friends and Lovers a third new Lumi fic by Rielle #3 in the Loyal Hearts series

Friends and Lovers

-Artists; Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson  
-peak Billboard position # 2 in 1986  
-Words and Music by Paul Gordon and Jay Gruska

What would you say if I told you  
I've always wanted to hold you?  
I don't know what we're afraid of  
Nothing would change if we made love

CHORUS  
'cause I'll be your friend  
And I'll be your lover  
Well, I know in our hearts we agree  
We don't have to be one or the other

Yes, it's a chance that we're taking  
And somebody's heart may be breaking  
But we can't stop what's inside us  
Our love for each other will guide us

CHORUS

I've been through you  
And you've been through me  
Sometimes a friend is the hardest to see  
We always know when it's laid on the line  
Nobody else is as easy to find

So I'll be your friend  
And I'll be your lover  
Well, I know in our heart we agree  
We don't have to be one or the other

Disclaimer,

a)

 if you recognize the characters in this work of fiction they belong to Ken Corday, Sony and NBC in something like that order. I don't own them, and am not making any profit from this work of fiction.

b)

This is an alternative fiction, with some basic similarities and some major differences to what is aired on Days of Our Lives. For those who haven't read 'One Voice' by this author, the main differences are in the parentage of the 'Geminis', which remains Marlena Evans and Tony Dimera, and the motives of several characters, mostly for the good.

c)

Some elements of this story may involve or have characters discussing or participating in consensual sexual relations between adults. For that reason, the rating on this story should be PG-17. If you find such concepts or content not to your liking, or you are under 18 years of age, please, read no further.

And great thanx to Ali and Bryan, whose work for the past ten years has inspired us all.

Rielle

**Part 1/15**

Thanksgiving Day, 2004, St Mark's Catholic Church, Salem,

Lucas Desmond Roberts stood in the room behind the sacristy, fidgeting harder than his ten and a half year old son, Will. Will Roberts was his usual frenetic self today, to the tenth power, and still his father had him beat.  And sitting across the room, relaxed and grinning widely at both of them, was a dapper older gentleman they'd only recently come to know as father and grandfather, Antony Dimera. Worst still, next to Tony sat John Black, stepfather of the bride to be, Samantha Gene Brady, openly laughing at the nerve rattling of the groom to be, and his ring bearer.

"Oh, thanks, you two." Lucas griped, as he continued to worry at first his own tie and then Will's.

"Guess you've both been married so many times, and I hate to bring this up now, but even to the same woman, that it's all old hat to you.

Well, I've only been married once before and it proved to be a disaster all the way around! So, if I'm a little jittery, I think I have every right."

"You know, Lucas." John shook his head at the younger man, "Any other day I would have to bust your chops for bringing up Kristen Blake. I made a fool of myself over her, back then, and in the process broke up Tony's marriage and nearly broke Marlena's heart. But today, nothing could mar my good mood, and I don't think you will even get a rise out of my brother here. What do you say, Tony?"

"John forgot to mention that he almost lost Marlena to my ex's wiles." Tony added. "And that would have been a terrible shame. When I think back I realize my adopted sister and former wife couldn't hold a candle to Sami's mother, or yours, Lucas."

Lucas shook his head and went back to fussing with his gleaming dark brown tux. He was feeling just good enough to admit to himself, anyway that the color was a very good choice, made with the sharp eyed help of their sisters, Billie, Cassie and Belle. But he still wasn't happy with the haircut he'd decided to get yesterday. Only Sami's smiling approval of this nearly last minute change calmed his worries in that regard. Will, on the other hand, was plainly bored with the whole dressing formally problem, and showed himself thoroughly both his parent's son by turning his healthy curiosity on Tony.

"Did you go out with Kate, yet?" Will demanded to know, his eyes as wide and blue as his mother's.

"No, young William, unless you count her sitting between my brother and myself at the rehearsal dinner. Your grandmother has always been not only a strikingly handsome woman, but after a certain point, a highly independent one as well. So, we are not ... going out, as yet. I await with all due patience the time when she considers the possibility."

But Will was stuck back on Tony's description of Kate Roberts. "..Handsome?"

Tony laughed. "The phrase is a bit old fashioned, I'm afraid, but accurate. And that tie they saddled you with is old fashioned, too. Why don't I see if I can work out something better?" Tony reached into his own tux's single pocket and earned a grin from his grandson by producing a dark silk ascot that didn't need tying at all, only clipping closed at the back of his neck.

"Kewl" Will exclaimed, "Can I go show it to Mom?"

"Will, your Mom's busy getting ready too." Lucas warned.

"Yeah, I know, Dad. But you're the one who can't see her dress before she comes down the aisle with John." Will grinned, showing off his accumulation of wedding trivia and tradition. "It would be bad luck."

"That's even more old-fashioned stuff." Lucas complained, knowing it wouldn't do any good. "It comes from a time when a man couldn't see his bride to be before the wedding at all, so that he wouldn't take off for the hills before the deed was done. And Will, if I hadn't ever seen your Mom before today, guess what?"

"Hello? I wouldn't even be here. Bye Dad, bye, John, bye Tony!" Will laughed and bolted out the door before any of them could make a move to prevent it.

"You know, Tony, I hated boarding school, but I'm beginning to think my kid needs it!" Lucas growled. "His manners ... "

"Calm, calm. You know better than I do how impossible it is to restrain a growing boy, my boy. I can only imagine what a handful you were at that age, with only Katherine to keep you in check. She managed to send me a picture now and then by a terribly circuitous route. And of course, there was no possibility of a correspondence. I don't regret it, really, that secrecy was the only shield we could give you."

"I know." Lucas said seriously, then grinned, looking very much like his son, as he gave up fighting with what was supposed to be a stylish bow tie. "I don't suppose you brought one of those clip tie things for me, too?"

"No, he left that to me." John answered, and pulled out another of the useful articles. "Sami may recognize this when she gets a moment. I wore it when I finally married her mother under my own name. Maybe it'll be just as lucky for you, Lucas."

"John, I ..." Lucas stared at the man who had so very recently 'become' his uncle. "Thanks."

"No problem. And Lucas, I have another 'gift' for you." John said, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

"A gift?"

"Just this: You don't need to have any doubt at all that Marlena and Roman would be as happy for you today as Tony and Kate and I are. In fact, I'm sure they are And I'm sure they'd want you to know that. And there is no one else I would ever be as glad to 'give' a young woman I have always thought of as my own daughter. No one."

Lucas knew he was staring at John, and that he should say something in response. But he couldn't seem to get the words out of his throat. They were sticking there, along with an oddly happy ache. And it was all the more impossible to grasp when Lucas remembered the long, difficult talk he'd had with this same man, soon after Sami proposed. With so much going on at the time, mostly bad, some good, Lucas had made himself go to John Black with everything that could possibly change his opinion of the man Sami wanted to marry. They had spent all one day and into the same night, clearing the air and trying to see their way clear. And Lucas had ended that session more amazed than he could ever remember being. John seemed to welcome their discussion, and Lucas thought at first, simply as a distraction from his fresh loss.

But it was more than that. Lucas realized, as it seemed to give John a chance to talk with someone about any number of deeds he wished had gone undone, and words left unspoken. They became friends that night beyond their alliance to win Sami's heart for Lucas. They reached an understanding that eased both of theirs, and Tony's heart as well. Because Tony was part of that same talk, weeks before Lucas knew him as his father. Tony who was now smiling fondly, and nodding at his brother John, and his son, Lucas. Finally, Lucas found the words he wanted to say to both brothers: "I can't think of anything that could mean more to me, today."

"Except forgetting your vows. Maybe?" John smiled, and they laughed together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 **

"I haven't forgotten any of my vows," Sami was reading aloud from a letter her grandmother Evans brought, written by Marlena, over four months before. "Not the ones I've kept or the ones I've broken. I know that for reasons beyond my understanding, there are still people in my life who think I'm some kind of plaster saint.  I never wanted to be one, I don't like them, real or imaginary. And the people who seem to think that of me, don't think much of plaster saints, either. Why should they?" Sami looked up and gave her son a teary-eyed smile as he rushed into the new bride's room in Saint Marks. Then she gestured wordlessly for Will to wait while she finished.  Will opened his mouth and closed it again, without a word.

"Sami," the letter went on, "You, more than a lot of people know when and where and how I've failed and fallen short as your father's wife, and as your mother.  And we both know how those failures more than once came close to ruining, even ending your young life. Of everything I've ever done, sweet girl, I hope you know there is nothing I regret more., except maybe  missing this special day. But also, I know for some reason I'll never understand, many of the people I've hurt in my life have forgiven me. And Sami, I can only pray that on your happiest day, you can do the same. If you can do that, nothing I can think of could help both of us feel happier and more at peace.

And I can't begin to tell you how happy I was when I saw you growing close to Lucas again. Very few things in my life gave me more joy and peace than when I found your father was able to forgive the past and become my dear friend again. I had nothing to forgive Roman for, although for a time it might have seemed so. If it's Lucas that you're marrying today, after all that has happened between you, then I know I didn't fail completely, because then I'll know that I taught you that love is not only more powerful than hatred and the fear that hatreds spring from, but that genuine, caring love between people is more important than any other human emotion.

Sami, I will always love you. And if I spent too many years speaking and acting as if you had to earn that love, then I was the one at fault, not you. Love, real love doesn't come with conditions and measurements to meet.  And if I let you think so, then I can only hope you won't hold that failing in your heart.  You and your brother lit up my world. You grew beneath my heart and you grew within my heart every day of your life. This I know you understand, because I've seen how dearly, how fiercely you love Will.  And he's great, He's brave and strong and healthy and bright, because you let him be all those things and more. Please let Will know that he is in my heart forever, too. He has always been like a burst of sunshine to me, and I'm so proud of both of you.

Samantha Gene, you know I named you after two people I loved tremendously, despite the troubles they went through and the troubles we went through together. My twin was always the reckless, passionate one, and she had so much to give that there simply weren't enough hours in the day, or days in her life to give it. And Gene Bradford stood by me more than once, when I felt so deeply alone. His sense of humor alone was enough to chase my fears away. I know Sam is waiting for me with DJ in her arms; but I really don't know where Eugene has gone off to, these days. If ever you have the chance, dearest girl, please tell him we never forgot his gentleness, his courage or his friendship.

One more thing, Sami. Please, please remember that no matter where I am, you don't have to search for me anywhere but the corner of your own heart.  That way you'll know that I'm always near, always caring and wanting so much to watch out for you. And that way you'll know that I am with you heart and soul,  today and everyday, no matter what.  I've thanked God at least thousand times for the gift of you, Sami. Now I'm thanking you, too.

Love you,

Mom"

Sami looked up and around the room, to find Liz and Belle, Cassie, Billie and most surprising of all, Kate, Anna and Carrie, all smiling back with tears in their eyes.

"I- we got a telegram from Eugene." she told them. "He's somewhere between Chechnya and Afghanistan, adopting as many war orphans as he can fit in a refitted cargo plane. I think he said he's headed for Iraq, next.  I know we used to say he was kinda nutty, but that is the greatest thing I've heard in a long time. "

"Yeah and he sent the kewlest outfits to all three of us!" Will chipped in. "Dad tried to pull on the long blue thing that covers everything but your eyes, but Mom and me told him that's what Muslim women wear ... some places. So then Mom put on a turban and stuff and chased Dad around with a zimitar."

"That's called a scimitar, darling." Kate told her grandson, laughing. "Sami, I could hear your mother's voice so clearly in that letter. We were so lucky to know her, all of us. She was probably the best woman friend I ever had. She is here today. I can feel it and I think you can, too."

Sami nodded, still feeling choked up., and, still reacting to the letter, walked over to Carrie with one hand out.   "There's a lot of sense in that letter." Sami said. "What could possibly matter more today than the people we've always loved. Carrie, I thought you always thought you were or wanted to be one of those plaster saints, for so long.  I was wrong, really wrong. Will you forgive me?"

Carrie was silent for so long that the whole room fell silent.  Then instead of speaking aloud, or shaking Sami's hand, she nodded and pulled her only sister into a hug. They stood together, weeping and laughing for another long moment.

"Nothing matters more than love." Carrie agreed. " And I think I proved to just about everyone that I'm not any kind of saint. I thought you always wanted what I had, just because I had it. So, I'd say I was really, really wrong myself. We're Bradys, and there aren't so many of us, anymore. So we'd better stick together.  Sami,.  I've had more than four months to think and pray over this, and I feel as though Austin forgave the hurt I caused him. When you and Lucas invited me to your wedding, I figured you either decided to tempt fate, or you wanted to let go of the past, too. I do. Forgive me?"

"Deal."  Sami said in reply ". "I'm really glad you're here. And Lucas says the past died this summer. I'm glad about that, too. Now, before I finish suiting up, I have to have a word with my wild-child. Will Roberts, what the heck happened to your tie?"

"Tony gave me this, Mom. It's great, you just put it around your neck and snap it together in back and put your collar back down over the band. Neat, huh? I think he was gonna give Dad one, too. C'mon, Mom! You know you're not supposed to get angry on your wedding day, not to Dad, anyway."

Sami opened her mouth with a retort on the tip of her tongue and closed it again just as quickly. If she'd promised herself anything, it was that there would be no major traumas, hysterics or over the top reactions from her, to anything.  "Well, its fine, Will. But since Billie picked out the ties you were going to wear, maybe you should be apologizing to her. What do you think?"

"Billie's kewl with it, Mom. She knows all about what Europin guys like Tony wear."

Sami glanced over at her soon to be and former sister in law and noted that the artistic director for this wedding was giggling and nodding at her namesake.

"I give up. Will someone please take this little man outside and run him around the church a few times?" Sami asked laughing. "I'm absolutely not going to be any use as a mother today. I have to get ready to finally really be a bride. Oh, why didn't I listen to Lucas when he said we could just elope?"

"Because you both knew the ISA would track you down no matter where you tired to hide." Liz Chandler Curtis answered, grinning as she walked over to Sami. "Will, come on with me and we'll go torment my kids while they're getting ready. You can help Noelle and I rehearse."

"Kewl!" Will yelped and led the songstress out at his usual mach one speed. 

"Not over Noelle, yet, I see." Billie laughed, giving the bride to be a quick hug. "I've got some tunes to run through myself before this gig gets underway. Lemme think, what was that song you wanted me to sing at the bash ... I mean, the reception afterwards?"

Sami swallowed hard on a moment's panic and sighed. "Liz has the list, and since she first recorded that particular song, maybe I should have asked you to sing  ... "Mandy"?'

Billie groaned, and shook her dark head emphatically no. "Hey, when did you ever hear me singing elevator music? Okay, I gotta run, but listen, Sami. Since we're all getting over the bad days, I wanted to say:  Thanks for helping us get Lucas off the market, okay? For a while there Kate and I thought he'd never catch the brass ring.  You know, my family has a real gift for acting bitchy when we don't know what else to do with ourselves. Whatever I may have said in the past ... "

Sami stopped the dark haired singer short. "It never happened. Okay?" she insisted.  "From either direction. I only thought I wanted Austin, Carrie wasn't really wrong about that.  You loved my ... You loved Bo, and gave him up, which is more than I've ever been able to do with any of the men in my life to date. And I hope I never have to learn. And my Dad, Billie, he always thought you were the best.  He told me. Also, I happen to know Mike Horton has great taste in women."

"Doesn't he just?" Billie giggled, her face growing bright.  "I'm in line for that bouquet of yours, I just wanted to let you know which direction to throw it."

"No, no wait, Kate told me she's going to push Liz to the front of the line, And Laura told me they're going to push Kate. Phillip wanted me to maneuver Cassie there, and I said wait your turn, sir!  Andrew asked the same favor for Belle and I said I'd think about it. Kim and Kay are late getting here, as usual, so I don't even know who their candidate is. And now you ... I'm soo confused! Please, its not nice to tease a madwoman."

"Marrying into my family." Billie giggled, " You'll fit right in, sis. See ya in the foyer."

"Thanks, " Sami groaned, "I think. Omigosh! It's nearly eleven1 Somebody help me, I'm supposed to get married in three hours, and this time it's just gotta stick!"

The maid of honor tugged her own garnet red silk suit into place and turned to leave. Belle, Cassie and Carrie followed her and Carrie turned back only to see Anna walking up to Sami with a knowing glance, followed by the late entrance of Laura Horton, Kayla and Stephany Johnson, Kim Collier and Jeannie Donovan.

 For the next two hours, these fresh arrivals worked feverishly over the frantic bride to be. They pinned, tucked, brushed, curled, added, subtracted, and searched high and low for every possible decoration., leaving Sami to exclaim at one point that she felt like a Chanukah bush!

Laughing and undismayed, her female friends and relatives went on, until they were happily successful. Hardly daring to look at her reflection in a wedding dress for the fourth time in her 27 years, Sami finally turned around and gasped. She stared at the woman in the mirror, as if at someone she'd never seen before who claimed to be herself.

Following tradition, her gown was creamy moiré silk and Irish lace. It clung to her torso in all the right places and belled out from the waist in an almost ante-bellum tulle  skirt, with a brief, elegant train. The bodice had just enough décolletage to flatter Sami's curves, and long satiny sleeves that were attached by tiny pearl buttons at each shoulder, a touch Sami loved, because she planned to dance the night away in Lucas' arms. Anna brought a wreath of white lilacs and miniature cream colored  roses that was Tony's contribution, and was just setting it over the tulle and lace veil, when she whispered a single  question.

"Are you?"

Am I what? Nervous, scared silly, excited, happy, in love, nervous...What?"

"Expecting."

This jolted Sami for a moment, with an urge to ask Anna what her sources could possibly be, but then she decided to go for it.

"We don't know yet."

"Twins?"

"We hope so, all of us, me, Lucas, and Will and ... whoever."

"Does Tony .."

"Mom, for pity's sake!" Carrie yelped, walking up to Anna. "Sami just said she and Lucas don't know yet.  You're incorrigible! What are you going to name them?" Carrie then asked, and laughed aloud.

"Fric and Frac!" Sami laughed back. "Works for either gender, you see."

"That would be Lucas' idea."

"How'd you guess? Will's choice as of this morning was Andrew and Phillip. He hasn't quite got on that he might get at least one sister. And mine, as of the last time my brain was functioning was Lena and Jennifer, or Rivka and Leah, or Kathy and Micaela, because I do want girls. Now, is everyone satisfied that they know all the existent and not yet existent details of my life?"

"For the time being." Kate laughed. 'But as the prospective grandmother here, I'm going to want daily reports."

At this point, Jeannie Donovan walked over to Sami with a bottle of soda that held an incredibly long straw. She held the bottle firmly while the bride to be carefully sipped.  It was a big hit with Sami, who felt as if her mouth and throat had been turning into cotton gauze.

"You look incredible." Kim's daughter said, her dark eyes wide with awe.

"Gorgeous."  Stephany added.

"Well, lets hope Lucas agrees with you." Sami laughed, after sipping.

"Unless Lucas is blind and crazy, he will." John assured her, walking into what had been, since Will's departure an entirely female enclave.  "You look wonderful, Peanut." Are you nearly ready?"

"Maybe. I honestly don't know. Am I supposed to be this terrified, or is it just flashbacks?" Sami joked.

"All things considered, a pretty expected reaction. You don't have a thing to worry about, Sami." John told her, fixing his gaze on her face somberly. "Everything's in place. Nothing, but nothing we haven't made all the arrangements for is going to happen this afternoon. "

Brought back to that other part of today's reality with a resounding crash, Sami nodded and smiled at her stepfather.  Then she mouthed the word 'Thanks.' and reached up to get and give a kiss.

"Can we have the room, ladies?" Sami asked the others, some of whom were clued into what John was referring to, and some who weren't and didn't need to be.

"To be sure. This is the bride's room, after all, is it not?" Kim answered. "Friends, let us away." Curious or knowing, all the women and girls filed out.

"She was sighted at the airport late last night. Orpheus daughter has taken the bait. We were right. She couldn't resist the chance at so many of us together again."

"Oh, okay. But John, I don't know if you saw the letter my grandmother brought me. Mom wrote it last summer and it gave me a lot more to think about, along with the wedding and our plan. I want ... I need to tell you something that I should have said months ago."

"No problem, you're only getting married for real and for good, I hope, in about fifty minutes, now."

"And that's why I want to get this said. I should have never treated you the way I did for so long. You didn't ask for what happened to you anymore than I did, or Eric or Carrie did, or Mom. You were ripped out of your own life by a madman. And strangely enough, part of what Stefano did was to give you something very like what he took away, He stole one family from you and gave you another. He stole Gina from you and gave you my Mom. He stole Greta from you and gave you us. And I loved you. I did."

"Sami, you didn't know, noone except Stefano knew ..."

"I knew that you loved me and Carrie and Eric without questioning anything, more than anyone or anything. I knew when we thought she died that you hurt all the way through, you missed Mom so much. And I know that until Isabella came along you never loved any woman as much as you loved my Mother.  And then she came back. And then Daddy came back...And then Isabella died. And the whole world went upside down. I think we all had a season in hell, then. But I couldn't get mad at my Dad, for making everything so impossible . I just couldn't . So, ... John, I'm so very sorry. We've talked all around this for months but now I want to say I understand. And it was you, understanding Cassie, that when she told me about it, got me here. And I'm glad to be here. And I'm glad you're here, too. Okay?"

"Very okay. Oh, and in case I forget to say it a couple thousand times today; you're so beautiful you're absolutely glowing. And I love you more than anything. Now, take some deep breaths and think how sweet the rest of your life and Lucas and Will's and ... whoever, is going to be. Cos in a little while you're going to walk out there and amaze just about everyone we know."

"Yeah, amaze them that I think I might actually make a marriage work this time." Sami laughed, trying hard to drive off her last minute nerves. "How is my groom holding up? No signs of checking the exits? No lapses of consciousness? No slim young girls tucked into the rectory's pantry?"

"Tony's on it. In fact, just to make sure, I think he's still back behind the sacristy, giving Lucas oxygen. And as far as your Mom is concerned, no worries. I can feel her here today, big as life." John assured Sami.

"Me too." Sami agreed. "Listen, lets go out to the foyer and maybe I can get Meems and Billie and everyone there to help me lose this train. I think it wants to trip me on the way up or the way back down the aisle. And it's got about a zillion pearl buttons that I can't begin to reach."

John grinned, knowing she loved the elegance of a train. Holding out his left arm he waited as Sami almost shyly hooked her right arm around it. Then they left the small, sunlit room for the crowded, more shadowed foyer of St Marks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Four hours earlier:

A woman stepped out of a cab outside the small, stone fronted Catholic church in the town she'd not seen in more than ten years. A devout Roman Catholic herself, and somewhat old fashioned in her practice, she covered her hair with a scarf, and pulled her coat collar up against the sharp, late autumn breeze. Then she nodded to the tall, fair haired young man getting out of the cab's other passenger door, and walked into St. Marks.

It seemed so much changed, inside and yet the feeling of quiet devotion was the same as ever. Clearly the church had been rebuilt from the inside out, and revamped to make it even more welcoming than she remembered. To the left of the foyer was a new, windowed door, and the visitor smiled. She remembered very clearly the times she'd spent in the bride's room.

Turning to her companion, she whispered. "I suppose you've heard a thousand times, Caro mio. How your arrival interrupted another wedding day, so long ago. But today you will not interrupt the proceedings, and neither will I. You promised me that, and I promised myself. We left your grandfather to his own devices on Cyprus, to come and share a celebration, and give a warning if one's needed. But from what we saw at the airport, and on the way here, I think they already know. They should, I sent word nearly two months ago, but anonymously."

"But you must know everyone, and especially Dad will be delighted to see you again. Delighted and amazed, just like I was." the young man with her said.

"My darling, I'm sure of that. Your father needs us both now, more than ever. But I don't want to upstage the bride and groom. The young man, aside from what you tell me, I know not at all. But the bride, well, she was very nearly my stepdaughter, once long ago. Yes, before you were so much as a twinkle in your father's eye! And that Sami has come to such a happy day, warms my heart."

"You know, I'm still not sure I understand. If you were unable to reach us, unable to let us know what really happened for so long ... how did you get away, how did you reach grandfather? Who found you?"

"The Contessa. Your grandmother, your father's mother, She was not content to believe the sad story of my demise. And it seems as though she has had the resources to keep track of you and your father for a long time now. She knew Ernesto was even more of a madman than Stefano. She knew he hated my mother for her affair with Victor, and he hated me for being the result. She followed up every possible lead, until her operatives were able to find and release me from my sanitarium, on Crete.  And when she learned that I had been poisoned, drugged to show symptoms of a cancer I never had, she brought the best doctors from all around the Mediterranean, to help me recover from my confinement. So, I am now, 'in the pink'." Isabella Kiriakis Black laughed quietly, And now I am going to find a quiet corner on the bride's side of the aisle, while you let John know you've come home for the wedding. Go on, Caro, what are you waiting for?"

Brady shook his head and admitted, "He'll know I'm holding something back. He always does. Can't I bring Dad back with me? Not even if I swear him to secrecy? Mom, I know you don't want to cause him pain, but if he spots you during the wedding, ..."

"Caro, why do you look so worried? Is your father ill?"

"No. Not according to him, at least the last time I phoned. But the virus didn't go easy on him. He covers well, but he's not at his best again, not yet."

"And this you kept from me all the way back to Salem?" Isabella demanded, her native temper flaring.

"He thinks nobody has noticed it. But I haven't talked to Mike Horton or whomever else Dad might be seeing. So I honestly don't know what shape he's in. So I honestly think a shock like this in the middle of everything else that's going on, might not be so good. So, I think I should bring Dad back now, and let him have a little while to catch his breath."

"No, Brady! You shouldn't do anything that might upset him!" a pair of clear, young voices called out angrily.

Brady and Isabella turned to find Belle and Cassie staring and frowning at them.

"He's been fine lately. Just fine and the last thing your Dad needs is another nasty surprise." Cassie went on.

Belle had fallen silent, still staring and wondering why the slight woman standing next to Brady looked familiar. She was not much taller than Belle and what could be seen of her hair was tawny red and curly, and her eyes were an amazing shade of blue-violet-grey. Then Belle gasped and worked her mouth open and shut a couple times before she could ask a single worded question.

"Isabella?"

"Si, Isabella. I am she." the older woman smiled at her namesake. "Do you truly think I would be a bad surprise for your stepfather, Cassandra?"

"Its just Cassie." the redheaded girl answered. "And ... I don't know. I just ... John has almost always been the one who understood me best, after Rex, and ... How do you know my name?"

"My darling mother in law brought me ... up to date. I'm glad to know my Caro mio hasn't been so very lonely, with the company of two such lovely young women. Such lovely suits you have ... your own designs, no?"

"Umm yeah ...See it was going to be a small, quiet wedding and then half the world began to rsvp and we talked for a week about fancier outfits for Billie and for us, but ...There was no time left." Belle explained.

"You look great, sis. You both look great." Brady amended. "I'm supposed to let you know that Chloe's schedule got bollixed up and she didn't think she could get here, today. Also, she hates flying. I think if she could get on a cruise ship and come into Salem harbor, she'd be much happier."

"Or, I could take the train." a clear, laughing contralto voice suggested. "But not the bus, I hate riding busses!"

"Chloe!" Brady yelped, and ran over to embrace his fiancée. "You, I ... we only talked the other night. You ... You're here!"

"Pretty much. Umm, did you want to introduce me to your traveling companion, or should I just guess by looking at your eyes that she's your mother?"

"Cara, I'm glad to say I am this gorgeous fellow's mother. And I'm very glad to meet you, at last. You look in splendid health, what does your doctor say?"

"My doctor's my dad, so he says I'm not resting enough and should have thought twice about coming out here for the weekend." Chloe laughed again, shaking hands with Isabella. "And my mom's even worse when she isn't chasing Joy around their brownstone. Joy's my two-year-old sister. I guess you know what that means."

"Si, this fine, tall son of mine ran me ragged at that age. Now, what have we decided, my young friends? Shall we ease my Giovanni into our news, or ... what is it ... spring it upon him?"

"I'd prefer not to have anymore surprises today. Will forgetting which pocket he put the rings in was plenty." John Black answered, walking towards them from the sacristy. The foyer was shadowy, with only stained glass slits for windows. All he could see at first were Cassie, Chloe and Belle standing and talking with Brady. And half hidden among them was a diminutive older woman, Only when she turned her wide, violet-grey eyes on John and smiled tremblingly, did the impossible become real to him.

He froze to the spot, unable to move an inch. And his heart seemed to tighten in his chest for an instant. And his breathing threatened to choke off in his throat. He couldn't be seeing who he was seeing. He couldn't be reaching out to her.  He couldn't be hearing the lightly accented voice he was hearing. But just as John was about to assert all those things; something clicked in his memory, something opened in his thoughts, and something hard and cold melted away like rain in his heart. Noone else ever had that smile, noone else ever tilted her head and nodded to him like that, and noone else ever called him Giovanni. Like his daughter a few moments before, there was only one word John could get out of his mouth.

"IzzyB?"

For an answer Isabella shook off her scarf, dropped the umbrella she'd sheltered under earlier and ran into John's arms. Murmuring and kissing, burying her face in his chest and then lifting it to his gaze, she smiled so brightly it lit the foyer like daylight. No words were needed between them. Time passed became meaningless and grief powerless over them.

"Si, Caro mio." Isabella finally whispered. "I've come home. Now, let's go see our young bride. But, maybe someone should warn her, first? After all, we can't have our Sami collapsing on her wedding day, not the one that truly matters."

Belle, Chloe and Cassie rushed ahead and for the first time that day, asked the bride's multiple helpers to give her a free moment. The women filed out, heading for the community room off the chantry. If any of them took a curious glance in John's direction, he simply smiled and nodded to indicate all was well. A moment later, John and Isabella walked into the brides' room to find Sami carefully standing against a costumer's board, to avoid mussing her gown. She was sipping from a cup of water, which fell to the carpeted floor when she saw the woman walking next to her stepfather. But like John, Sami felt unable to take a step towards this unbelievable wedding guest.

"I dreamed this." Sami finally whispered. "Or, am I dreaming this?"

"No, Cara, I'm home again, and just in time, I think." Isabella smiled. "Because I think you're wearing too much eye makeup, senorina Sami."

"Carrie put it on me." Sami laughed, falling into a long ago discussion. "We were playing Cinderella and she let me be the fairy godmother. She said it was just as good as being Cinderella, but I think its better. Fairy godmothers are prettier than just ... princesses."

"Nevertheless, you can't possibly be old enough for all that." Isabella chided, laughing in return. "And there is simply not the possibility of your being old enough to marry!"

"Well, you'd better be the one to tell Lucas, cos he's probably looking for a way out, just about now." Sami hugged her beloved friend. "Isabella, I thought nothing could make me happier today, but ... I'm so glad I was wrong."

"And I brought you a tiny gift, cara." Isabella pulled a cream colored satin box out of her coat pocket and handed it to Sami "I'm standing in for your darling mother, today. And I know she would have made sure you had something old. "

Sami opened the box finally, her hands shaking, and sighed happily. Inside was a crystal and pearl beaded rosary, with sterling links and crucifix. She knew she'd seen Isabella praying with it dozens of times long ago. And she knew it was special.

"My mother came to be part of the World's Fair in upstate New York years ago. She was given this rosary as a keepsake," Isabella explained. " They were part of the items found in the Italian Pavilion. She gave it to me before I came to America the first time. It always seemed to bring me her wish that I be happy and safe. And now it brings my wish for the same to you. Be happy and keep safe, cara mia. Don't let anything keep you from your loves. Promise me that?"

"I promise." Sami answered, her eyes bright with tears.

"Then I'll let you get ready, and I'll have a little time with our Giovanni." Isabella said, hugging Sami and turning back to John. "I can't wait to see you walk down the aisle on his arm, and back up on Lucas'."

"Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4 **

Lucas was spending his day getting in and out of his tux jacket, whacking a brush through his hair and muttering to himself the words he felt he should have had memorized a week ago, much less today. He was a ball of nervous energy and he knew it was obvious to everyone who saw him.

What will Sami think when she sees me shaking like a palm tree in a hurricane? Lucas silently asked himself. I know what she'll think. I know she'll think I'm scared out of my mind and looking for any reason, any reason at all to back out of this. She'll think I don't want her ... no, she knows better than that. Sami will just think that like my late, lamented brother, like Franco and Brandon I'm better than everyone Walker, She'll think I don't want to marry her, I don't want to stay with her, that I'll leave her alone again, if she won't mold herself to fit my specs.

"And its so not true!" Pacing and muttering, Lucas wasn't really paying any attention to anything or anyone else in the room, and he clearly didn't realize he'd spoken aloud.

"What isn't true, dear boy?" Tony Dimera asked, masking a smile.

"That I'm chickening out on Sami, on Will and ... everything. That I ever would do that, again. Tony, I swear, as scared as I am right this minute, as much as I want to down about a pitcher full of martinis, I want us back even more."

"That's good to know. But Lucas, can you honestly say Sami would be getting ready to wed you now, if she thought otherwise?"

"No, she'd be getting ready to lynch me about now, especially considering " Lucas felt his face growing hot. Never, not even in his closer moments with the man who had protected him with a claim of fatherhood, did he recall discussing his private life with an older man.

Now Tony grinned and nodded his understanding. "There, you see. You're worrying about a problem that doesn't exist."

"And I'm worried about the problems that do exist." Lucas added. "How do we know this ... lunatic isn't going to blow up the church? Why should she wait for the reception? Are we just plain crazy to go ahead with this today, when she could have already done something that will take out the half of Salem she didn't' get last summer? Oh, why didn't Sami listen when I suggested we elope?"

"Because she loves Salem and she knows the bunch of you would have to go live in Outer Mongolia if you even tried that." Mike Horton said, walking into the small room in a dark almost blue-red tux,  with Billie on his arm.

Tony kissed Billie's hand and left the three young people, "I have to make sure the ring bearer hasn't run off with the choir leader." he said, smiling.

"And little bro," Billie added, leaning over to plant a kiss on Lucas' face. "Sami knows the same thing you do. The ISA and the Feds have got both places staked out and checked to the nth degree. So, Orpheus' daughter can try whatever she wants to try. She doesn't win, not this time. No way."

"And believe me, getting married in Salem would make anyone in their right mind nervous!" Mike joked. "It's never just a wedding around these parts, It's an adventure."

"No, no," Lucas cried in mock dismay. "Please, no more adventures!"

But Billie distracted him in the next moment after studying his apparel with a discerning artist's eye. "What happened to your tie?" she demanded to know.

Lucas startled at the question, then realized she was trying to haze him. "I was defeated in the battle of the bow-tie." He admitted glumly. "My hands were shaking so bad I could only think its a good thing I didn't become another Horton doctor. John gave me this, in its place. It's .."

"Its the one John wore when he and Marlena finally tied the knot," Mike finished. "I remember, because he was running into the same problem until Carrie ran into the room with a pre-wedding present from Marlena."

"Oh well, I guess its okay for the bridegroom to wear something borrowed too. We could start a whole new tradition here. Do you have something old?

"Yeah, My older sister." Lucas smirked.

"Smart mouth! Okay, I know the tux is brand new and that haircut ... Sit down, Lucas, and let me work on it." Billie commanded.

Lucas groaned and as Billie grabbed his arm and nearly pushed him into a chair, tried not to squirm.  "Ouch!" he yelped as she vigorously brushed his hair into shape.

"Are you a man or a mouse?" Billie laughed, shaking her head. "Or do you want to look like you lost a fight with a lawnmower in your wedding pictures? No, I didn't think so. What do you want to do, scare your own grandkids someday?"

"Why shouldn't they be just as scared as I am?" Lucas demanded. "Hey, what are you talking about? Grandkids! G-d help me!"

"He might. But not if you flub your wedding vows." Mike laughed. "Don't waste time complaining to your sister, recite them for me. C'mon, I'm going to be your brother again if I can ever get this gorgeous man-eater to say yes. So I'm practicing pushing you around. Isn't that what older sibs are for?"

Slowly, and quietly Lucas went through the quote that he'd found with Rivka's help, to incorporate in his solemn vows today, because it said so clearly what he most wanted Sami to hear. Billie teared up listening, after thwacking Mike for his 'man-eater' comment. And Mike nodded approval.

"That's great, I think I've heard it before ... And I think you do know what she needs to hear." the young surgeon commented. "I think you'll do fine if you can just keep from st-st-stammering. But why the covertness? Didn't you two rehearse together?"

"No. Not on this part. Sami said she was still looking for the poem she wanted, last week. And when I was going to tell her mine, Sami said, no she'd rather have at least one nice surprise today. But we found this that we want you to read." Lucas pulled another large index card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Mike.

"Lucas this is great, really thanks. But Tony's your best man. Why isn't he ...?"

"He said he wanted to keep to the traditional duties, like locking the back door to the church so I can't bug out, and reminding me not to slump when the pictures are taken, and otherwise keep a low profile. He's funny that way. Maybe he thinks there's still someone who doesn't know I'm his kid. And no matter how many times I've told him in the last month ... that I'm fine and better than fine with it, he's just funny about the whole thing."

"He's been in the habit of protecting you from his family and those who hate his family for a long time now. I mean think about it, didn't you turn fifty on your last birthday?" Mike ducked as Lucas found a thickly brocaded pillow to throw at his head.

"Hey!" Billie cried. "I'm the only one who gets to thwack the blond guy. I worked it out with Laura. She gets to nudge, but I get to thwack."

Mike groaned and ducked again. "I knew it!" he yelled. "I'm doomed! But in a good way."

"Yeah, nice comeback, Doc." Billie finished smoothing Lucas' hair down to her own satisfaction and walked back to pull Mike into a kiss. "You'll do."

"Why thank you, Ms Reed. I'll engrave the date on my heart, since I finally met with your approval." Mike grinned, and kept Billie close another moment to return the embrace.

"Oh you already met with that, Dr. H. Lemme see, the last time was just the other night."

Now Lucas groaned. "Oh c'mon. Will you two just go get a room?"

"Oh we did." they chorused. "That's why you and Sami aren't getting the best suite at the Salem Inn tonight."

"Funny! You're sooo funny. Billie, I think you're right about touring, next year and you could take my once and future brother with you as your straight man, anytime after the reception. And don't worry about our suite, we came up with a better idea."

"Danger, danger Will Roberts!" Billie laughed. "Okay, let's go, my work here is done."

Lucas sighed and watched them rush out. Glancing at his watch he saw it was already 1:41. He had less than twenty minutes to go, before their wedding ceremony, and literally nothing to do but wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Tony Dimera wasn't checking on anything inside St Marks, he'd fibbed to his nerve-wracked son for good reason, one that Lucas would both understand and appreciate later. One that Lucas, being a father to young Will likely already understood and appreciated. Tony was checking on the security his operatives had arranged, in odd cooperation with Shane Donovan's ISA agents. This was only the second time the two groups had worked together, and they all hoped to have far more success this time in running their common enemy to ground. Then, with only seventeen minutes to go before Sami and John started up the main aisle, Tony's cell phone buzzed and he was on a conference call with Donovan, Hope Brady and her young son, Kim Collier, John and Carly Manning.

Carly spoke first as it was her news they were just getting. "My g-d, I don't know how I was so foolish! He deceived me over and over again and now

I find he's done it again. Lawrence made certain I'd believe he'd become overwhelmed with remorse and regret at his deadly alliance with Orpheus'

 girl. Instead, I only today learned that my ex is ... bedding her, and she's not as old as Sami! You need to be on the watch for both of them.

But I'm very sorry to say I think Lawrence is the greater danger to all of you, I'm quite sure he's gone insane. I know I said that before, but I wasn't convinced of it until now. You see ... he ... Lawrence called Nicholas and said he was coming back to the States, and back to Salem to collect his

son, and Kim ... Kim Brady Donovan."

"He won't get within twenty miles of her!" Shane growled. Nothing in more than fifteen years had happened to change his love and care for Kimberley and their kids. Nothing would. And his Gaelic temper was flaring as John spoke up.

"That's not the plan, Commodore. We will stop them from doing any harm they might have in mind. I've given my oath on that. We all have. But we must let them think they have a chance to win through this time, or the games' over. My adopted brother has been moving towards insanity for a long time. The only thing that has changed is that he's alone. His parents are long since gone. His son and his ex want nothing to do with him, that's plain. And Vivian is here today. But she has said she wants no harm to come to anyone in Salem, and for once, I believe her. Because she loves Nicholas more than she loves herself. Always has."

"Dr Manning." Tony interjected now. "Did my cousin Lawrence say what means he was using to reach Salem?"

"He said he'd fly in and out again before anyone could lift a hand to stop him. And he loathes commercial flights. So Nicki and I believe he'll be using a personal jet. If he was telling our son anything truthful at all, then he'll be coming from Montreal. Are you certain we can stop him?"

"I assure you, dear lady. If nothing else I will stop this madman from harming my son and his family with my last breath." Tony swore. "And he may in fact be surprised by the welcoming committee he finds in Salem. Not a single person at St Marks today wasn't devastated by his scheme."

"Then, I'll keep Nicki here ..." Carly told them, carefully foregoing to say where. "And if he should never see his father alive again, so be it. Please, all of you, keep safe, be very careful."

"We will, Carly. And we'll send up the all clear just as soon as we've stopped them." Hope put in, from her post with Shawn at the airport. "The signal we agreed on. You won't be able to miss it."

"Thanks, friend."

"No," John said quietly. "Thank you for this heads up."

"So," Tony said turning to his brother. "What is this signal? Where is Dr. Manning that we could send a signal that ..."

"An old fashioned kind of sky-writing I think is what Hope had in mind." John smiled tautly. "Lets get everything that isn't in place set up. Kimmy, you know Shane and Phil are gonna want to throttle the both of us for this, but it looks like we may have lucked out, except that that makes you the principal bait."

"Perfectly aged Irish whiskey cheddar. To catch a perfect rat." Kim quipped. "And you men folks don't get to have all the fun, you know! G-d I wish Roman and Bo were here to get in on this party."

"So do I. So do we all." Hope answered, and then signed off.

"So, I think you know what you'll probably need to do?" John asked Kim.

"Stall him in his tracks? No problem. I'll have Carly's ex tied around my little finger again before he can say Glochamora."

"Then we'd better get to our respective places." Tony agreed. "I believe there was mention of a wedding being held here today."

Five breathlessly rushed minutes later, Jeannie Donovan stood at  the main entry to the body of the church. She wore a ruffly concoction of pale sage sateen, tied in a shiny bow at the waist, and held a wicker basket almost overflowing with rose petals. Behind her stood Stephany Johnson, on the arm of her cousin Will Roberts,  sharing possession of a satin pillow with two golden rings. Their  outfits were less frilly, more subtle and complimentary in colors culled from autumn apples.

Lined up behind the youngsters were Cassie Evans Dimera and Phillip Kiriakis in gleaming bronze outfits, that glowed only a little less than their glances at each other. Then came Andrew Donovan and Belle Evans Black in darker sage silk tux and gown, lighting the church with their grins. And the fourth couple, Billie Reed and Mike Horton wore shades of garnet-blue-red that caught every eye. These three handsome couples drew sighs of appreciation from everyone in the pews, and that brought happy relief to all three designers. And at the other end of the aisle, standing straight as a soldier on parade ground stood Lucas Roberts, with his father a calming presence at his side.

When the music started Jeannie started pacing down the aisle, stopping only to shower as many guests as possible with her flowers, as well as the white cloth running the length of the church. And unlike the rehearsal only the night before, the youngster remembered not to pause and share a kiss with everyone close enough to reach. She was marking the path for the bride to follow, and that somber responsibility was marked on her smiling face. When all these celebrants reached their appointed places around the main altar, the music changed and John appeared at the far entry with a smiling, bright eyed Sami on his arm. He kept murmuring encouragement to his stepdaughter, who felt an urge to do what Jeannie, had done last night, stopping to hug and kiss everyone she could reach. Instead, she laughed and blushed and settled for throwing a kiss in both directions.

"Pinch me, will you?" she asked her stepfather. "I can't believe this is real!"

One after another smiling, happy face turned to the bride to be, applauding and sighing over her gown, and joining in her laughter, including Todd Curtis, waiting at the altar for all of them. Sami thought she'd never felt so wanted, so loved and welcomed in all her adult life, not by so many people. She'd signed and sent out more invitations than she could remember right now. And looking around St Marks, it seemed to her as if every single invitee was here.

"Nobody here wants anything but you and your guy together, Twinner. Believe that." John answered. "And nothing is going to keep that from happening, today."

"John, be careful, how do we know what might jinx it?" Sami demanded, still nervous

"Because everyone we love is here with us, Samantha Gene. Everyone. Close your eyes for a second and you'll feel them."

Sami did as she was bid and gasped, happily. Without a single doubt she could sense all her lost best beloveds crowding the church in spirit to share the day with the living. Eric and Caroline, Bo and Sean Brady, Alice and Jenn, Abby and Austin, all seemed to be smiling at her, nodding wordless good wishes, and love. And of course, as she took her first step down the aisle, Sami felt Roman and Marlena standing at her shoulders, grinning and winking at her for luck. Then Sami looked all the way down the aisle, and saw the two faces that meant more to her than any others in the living world. Will was grinning so widely his face seemed about to break. But Lucas was looking back at Sami with the gentlest smile she'd ever seen on his face.

"Well, we'd better get going." she whispered to John. "Cos we're keeping my family waiting. And that won't do."

And in the next moment, a clear, madly laughing voice rang out. "No, that won't do at all." Lawrence James Alamain cried out. "What is the matter with all of you?"

Everyone in St Mark's turned to find their common enemy, straddling the marble communion rail with automatic pistol in one hand and  a gleam in his dark eyes that made it clear he cared nothing for shocking them.

"This is only November!" Alamain continued. "Your families aren't all here today, dear adopted brother Forrest, or John or whatever in hell your name truly may be! More than half of the families you claimed were yours are in the ground a few miles from here! Fifty-eight people you lived with, knew and even claimed to love died four months ago you  cold-blooded, utterly plebian idiots!  Sons, daughter, wives, husbands, mothers and fathers, babies and your own beloved matriarch died because you were too slow witted, and too careless to save them. At.. at least I cared enough to end their miserable, grubbing, lonely and unwanted existence! So now they're dead, and you sit here grinning like the fools you are, celebrating ... celebrating what? A bowdlerized fertility rite? I always knew the people of Salem were cold, hard, heartless blue-collar hypocrites. But this, this has to be a new low!"

Father Todd Chandler Curtis walked down the steps in front of the altar and moved towards Alamain, but two women called out to stop him.

"Todd, keep away from him!" Liz called out fearfully.

"She's right, Father Todd. This is what I signed on to take care of." Kim Collier replied. "This crazy bastard is my patient. Let him be and get ready to get this show back on the road on my say so."

"Kimberley!" Alamain called out, looking both confused and delighted ."You're here waiting for me? You got my message, then? But ... something's clearly gone wrong. Where is my son? Where is Nicholas?"

"Lost to you, boyo." Kim answered calmly. "Nowhere that you can ever harm a hair on his gorgeous head. He's gone."

"No!" Lawrence howled. "He came here with the faithless slut who birthed him! I know he did. Now bring me my son!"

"Caterina is not here, nephew." Vivian Alamain walked out of the crowd. "She divorced you last year, long before she thought you'd taken the cowards way out. And if you think she or I would let you anywhere near my Nikki, then you're crazier than your own father."

"My father was not crazy!" Lawrence shouted at her, his face growing dark red with rage. "And I didn't come all this way to mince words with you, Auntie. Why should I believe you've taken common cause with a woman you never wanted to know her own son was alive?"

"Nikki is the only common cause I have with Caterina von Leuschner. We would rather die than let him come to harm. Better than that, we'd rather you died. Deal with it."

"He is my son! You both kept him from me for years, and I want him back!"

"Why?" Tony Dimera strolled over as if to find out the time of day in Hapsburg. "Does some inheritance we haven't heard about devolve upon your illegitimate son? And if so, how? Everyone here knows and could care less that young Nicholas was born out of wedlock. Funny how it happens that you are legitimately an Alamain and yet so much more of a crazy bastard."

"You, you should know how that works." Alamain growled. "You have three bastards of your own, as I understand. And all of them are dead as of today along with your daughter in law to be and her son, unless you bring me my son, Dimera!"

"No, Lawrence. No." another woman's voice, clear and carrying and seemingly full of affection rose from the bride's side of the church. And following it, Carrie Brady walked up closer to Alamain than anyone else had dared.

"Young Caroline. My, my how you've changed" the madman exclaimed.

"But in a good way?" Carrie asked. "Lawrence, I remember when you first came to Salem. You didn't know Carly was here, not for sure, you didn't know John was your adopted brother, you didn't even have a son, as far as you knew. But you were kind to me, more than generous. You understood so well how angry I'd become because my father had been replaced by a fraud. You seemed to understand me better than anyone I'd ever known. I loved that. And I thought I loved  you. Maybe I did. Maybe that's why noone else, at least, no other man could keep my heart. Do you think that's so? Did you love me too, Lawrence? Did you care about that angry, bitter, troublemaking girl who didn't know what was going to happen next in her life? Did I remind you of your lost Caterina? Do I now?"

"Well ... no ... you ... your hair's different, its darker, now. And your eyes are so very sad ..."

"My dad died four months ago." Carrie said simply, letting her tears for Roman Brady slip down her cheeks. She never took her eyes off of Alamain, or the pistol he cradled now against his chest. "I've tried to get past that, but added to the others ... Lawrence, you said once you wanted to help me. Did you mean it? Do you? Will you help me, please?" She took another step towards Alamain and reached out her hand to him.

"Carrie, no!" John, Sami, Kim, Kayla, Tony, Lucas, and Anna cried together.

"Shut up you fools." Lawrence growled. "Clearly, Carrie is the only one who understands the pain you are all hiding from. She has a wise and loving heart, which is more than I can say for the rest of this horrid little town."

"See, I knew you would understand, Lawrence. I hurt so bad. You always understood how much I hurt inside when my father was gone, when he came back and then wasn't really my father at all. All the lies, all the fraud, all the pain. It's got to be more than I can bear up under. I lost the men I'd loved more than myself this summer. And before that I lost the man I threw all of my life away for. I can't stand it any longer. Please, Lawrence. I know your pain runs just as deep. Please, they can't. But I know you want to. Can't you make it stop hurting?"

No one but Carrie and Alamain were moving now inside St Marks. And no one was looking at anyone but that strange pairing. And Carrie had been moving so slowly, and talking so softly that only the church' acoustics allowed the others to hear what she said now, as Carrie put her hand over the pistol and drew even closer to their enemy. "Make it be over." she whispered, and was so close that the gun lay hidden between them. "Please."

A scream froze in every throat, and no one could utter a sound. Then, in another blink of an eye, Ops was behind Lawrence knocking him unconscious to the marble floor. And Carrie was standing still grasping the pistol, shaking like a windblown leaf. Without knowing how she got there, Sami was at her sister's side, holding her while Ops gently got the gun away and its safety locked. In another moment the horizontal aisle before the chantry was filled with people crying and hugging and nervously laughing in relief.

"Heck of a way to break up my wedding, sis." Sami giggled, never letting Carrie go for a minute.

"Yeah well paybacks are ..." Carrie tried to joke but instead let herself be pulled into the embrace of Anna, Tony and John, followed quickly by Kayla, Kim, and dozens of others.

"Carolina Anna, why?" was all Tony could think to ask his stepdaughter.

"Because he asked Kim to be here. He expected Kim to try to talk him down. Oh, you want to know how I knew that? Easy, I took a page from Sami's book, I eavesdropped on the lot of you, when Carly called. Maybe Shane and Ops can get the ... bastard to tell us where his partner is. I hope so. I'd like to kick her ... "

"Caroline Anna Brady, I'd say I was ashamed of you," Kim began. "But it would be a complete lie. I'm so proud, and so would your Dad be. In fact, I'm sure he's braggin all over the Highest Heaven."

"Yeah? Hey, maybe I should be a cop?" Carrie grinned.

"No way, not a chance. If they kicked me out, do you think they'd keep you cos your last name's Brady?" Billie laughed, rushing up to hug her former roommate. "So was mine, once!"

"Look folks, this is all thrilling, and I'm glad noone got hurt, really. But I was supposed to be married by now to the mother of my children." Lucas complained. "And I don't thinks she's up for a rain delay."

"Absolutely no way!" Sami agreed. "You said yes, remember?"

"Absolutely." her bridegroom to be grinned back, with a laugh lighting his dark deep-set eyes.

"Then lets get straightened out and get this show on the road." Billie suggested. Her tone brooked no argument and neither did the congregation. It took a surprisingly short time for them to settle back where they'd been, and to circumvent the slightest possible wisp of bad luck, John took Sami around the pews to the right and back to the main entry again.

"Okay," Billie laughed. "Places, Lights, Music, Action!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

Lucas walked back to his place at the right of the altar, shaking a bit with relief, himself. Not wanting to give anything else the time to develop, the wedding party took their places there as well. Across from him again were Jeannie, Stephany, Belle, Cassie and Billie, giggling among themselves and tugging at a sleeve here, a bodice there. Ranged with Lucas were Tony, Will, Andrew, Phillip and Mike, just as busily checking themselves out.

"Looks like we're good to go." Billie stage-whispered to Todd, and the young priest gestured to his sister in the choir loft. The time honored music began again, and this time Sami was obviously clinging even harder to John's strong right arm. And in her arms was a bouquet that brought more than one smiling tear to the watcher's eyes. It was made of baby's breath, incredibly pale pink and cream colored roses, and completely out of season lilacs. And it had been Kate's gift to the bride.

"You may have trouble believing me when I say this." Kate told Sami when she brought the flowers into the bride's room earlier, "But I think there's a chance you may be good for my  older son."

"I-I hope so." was all Sami could manage to say.

"Well, you've helped him stay sober through all we've been through lately. And that's something I could never do. And you and Will seem to anchor Lucas as nothing else ever could."

"Well, that's because he knows I'll take him apart if he starts chasing skirts again." Sami laughed. "And he loves Will so much. I guess that should have given me a clue ... shouldn't it?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Sami, I'm no more of a plaster saint than anyone in Salem, and I'll tell you what I should have realized a long time ago. Children need and deserve anything and everything we can give them. They deserve all the love and care the people in their life have to give. And that's what I realize you gave Will, and what I already knew I tried to give Lucas. You and I ... well, I've been thinking about this a lot and I think we fought for years because we're too much alike. No, wait, I need you to hear me out before I cave on this:

We are the kind of mothers, both of us who would do anything in her power, and grab as much power as she could with both hands to protect our kids.

And we're the kind of people who have perfect 20/20 vision unless and until the blinders go on and we can't see anything but a threat to those same kids. And because we respect, but don't really like that about ourselves, we hate it in each other. The ends don't justify the means and we both know it. But we've spent most of Will's lifetime acting as if they did. I don't want to do that anymore, Sami But  I think that's a pretty fair assessment, and by the way, so does John."

"You've been talking to John, about me?" Sami asked. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to know what a man who helped to raise you would say I needed to do to make the truce we called last summer permanent." Kate told her.

"And he told you ...what?"

"That the past died last summer and it was time and past time to bury it. And I  agree. So the question is, do you?"

"He said ... Damn, that's just what Lucas ..." " Sami shook her head, "Kate, I agree, but on one condition."

"Sami, what?"

"That you and I make sure we keep our guys from conspiring against us this way." Sami laughed. "Deal?"

Kate grinned and nodded. "Deal. Wait, does that count Antony, Mike Horton and Will?"

"Especially Will!" Sami agreed. "And his new little brothers if that's what appears in late June or early July next year."

"Omigd," Kate's hazel eyes widened with mock horror. "In that case I'm starting right now to pray for girls!"

"Me too!" Sami laughed, and smiled again as the music swelled and she walked towards the altar on John's arm.

This time they made it all the way down the aisle and the sigh of relief through the congregation was audible, making everyone laugh. But Todd Curtis had been officiating in another parish for several years now, and he knew how to quiet a rowdy crowd almost as well as his mother. He walked down the steps in front of the altar and smiled calmly, gesturing for them to sit down again and let the ceremony proceed.

John walked Sami up to stand at Lucas' left hand, and waited until Todd asked the traditional question: "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her father, her mother and her stepfather, which is me." John answered, and kissed Sami softly. Then he went back to sit with Carrie, Kim and Kayla in the first pew on the bride's side of the aisle.

"I love you." Sami whispered as he bent to kiss her, and smiled tearily.

Then, as they had agreed and rehearsed, Todd continued, turning to glance at Lucas and the other side of the church.

"Who gives this man to be married to this woman?"

"His father and I do." Kate responded, walking up to embrace Lucas for a moment.

"Mom ..." Lucas started to say, his throat closing on him. "Mom thanks, I love you."

He said nothing more but glanced over at Tony, not everyone in St Mark's today was privy to their relationship. The bride and groom and their respective parents agreed that everyone coming to the wedding didn't need to know Kate was referring to someone other than the late Bill Horton.

As the liturgy proceeded, Todd indicated that the bride and groom could take their places on a brocade covered bench to one side. They held a liturgy guide together, but neither Lucas nor Sami even glanced at it. They were too excited and too much focused on each other.

 Todd gave another signal and Mimi walked slowly up to take her part in the ceremony, a reading chosen for its sentiment and its brevity.

"A reading from the writings of Thomas Merton," she began:

" To say that I am made

  in the image of G-d,

  is to say

  that love is the reason for my existence

  for G-d is love."

Blushing prettily, Mimi walked back into the congregation, to sit back next to Rex, on the groom's side of the aisle.

After an Epistle and more blessings were given, Mike Horton stood up and walked to the top edge of the step.

"A reading from The Centering Book, by MC Richards. "He read, and smiled at his gathered friends and family.

"This is why

love is in the strictest sense, necessary.

It must be present

in order for life to happen freely

It is the other face of freedom.

One gives up all one has for this

This is the love that resides in the self

the self love

out of which all love pours,

the fountain, the source

At the center.

one gives up all the treasured sorrow

and self mistrust

all the precious loathing and suspicion

One bends in the wind

There are many disciplines that strengthen

One's athleticism for love

It takes all one's strength."

Mike walked back to his place between Andrew and Will, and grinned as he and everyone saw Sami leaning in to whisper something and then kiss her groom warmly.

"Sami, everyone's staring at me!" Lucas protested weakly, "There are 472 people here and you've got them all staring at me, and wondering what I'm doing up here."

"No," Sami laughed, shaking her head, loving the feeling of her hair loosed to her shoulders. "Those 472 people, not counting our wedding party, are all staring at me, cos I'm the bride here, and they're asking two questions? They want to know who is that devilishly gorgeous guy sitting next to Sami Brady of all people, and how did she get him to the altar? And the answers are Lucas Desmond Roberts, because he said yes!"

Immediately after the midpoint of the liturgy, the bride and groom, the wedding party and anyone else who wished, was welcomed to walk into the sanctuary and take Communion. Helping Todd out as servers were Carrie Brady, Phillip Collier, Laura Horton, Joshua Fallon in place of his nearly six months pregnant wife, Jessica, and Doug and Julie Williams.  And when all was said and done, Sami and Lucas were kneeling on a prie-deu in front of Todd in front of the main altar, nodding their answer when he asked if they were ready to go on.

"Dear friends and family of these two young people," Todd began, "We are here today for the best reasons in the world, for love of them, for love of each other and for the celebration of Sami and Lucas' love for one another. It's been a long and winding road for these two, and I'm sure they are happily amazed to have reached this destination.

 It took a lot of pain and grief, a lot of compassion and forgiveness, a lot of joy and understanding to get our bride and groom here today, and I have to say the credit goes almost as much to their sheer determination, as it does to their faith. They've won the good fight, or at least the hardest skirmish yet. And that is well worth celebrating. Marriage, as so many of you know, is believed in our faith to be an institution established of G-d. It is not to be entered into frivolously or lightly, It is a sacred bond that echoes the ties between our G-d and His church. And that is why we are here today, to witness and acknowledge and honor the bond that has brought our young friends here before us. And that is why we must begin by asking this question of both of you, Sami and Lucas." Todd paused and both groom and bride met his gaze unwaveringly. "Have you come here today to give yourselves to each other freely, of your own desire, without coercion, hesitation, or any purpose of evasion?"

"We have." they chorused.

"Do you know of any reason, or if you do not, does anyone here present know of any reason these two may not be lawfully joined in the sacred bonds of matrimony?"

The whole church fell silent. And for a moment that silence deepened, as Sami's eyes widened and Lucas held her hand as if for dear life. They both swallowed hard, in order to answer 'no'. to the traditionally, legally required question. Then Will piped up before anyone could stop him.

"No, nobody does. No way!"

"Well said." Todd chuckled. "That's settled then. We'll go on with the vows. Put your left hands together and Lucas first, then Sami, repeat after me:

I, Lucas Desmond Roberts,"

"I, Lucas D-desmond Roberts," Lucas repeated, turning his gaze back to Sami.

"Take you, Samantha Gene Brady,"

"take you, Samantha Gene Brady." His eyes were alight with wonder, Sami thought.

"to be my wife, my partner in life, and my one, true love."

"to be my wife, my partner in .. life, and my one true love." Lucas was saying the words Sami felt she'd waited her lifetime to hear.

"I will cherish our friendship, and love you"

"I will cherish our friendship and love you." She knew she was weeping now, and didn't really care. "today, tomorrow and for all the days of our life."

"today, tomorrow and for all the days of our life." Lucas looked so somber as he spoke that Sami thought at one time she would have been sure he was playing her. But not today.

"I will trust you and honor you"

"I will trust you and honor you." Can you really trust me, Lucas? Sami asked him with her eyes.

"I will laugh with you and cry with you."

"I will laugh with you and cry with you." Enough crying, lets have time to laugh.

"I will love you faithfully."

I will love you faithfully." _Well, at least I know you won't go chasing after our sisters Lucas Roberts, if you could read my mind right now you'd want to smack me for that one. _Sami thought.

"Through the best and the worst. Through the difficult and the easy."

"Through the best and the worst. Through the difficult and the easy."_ It will have to get easier now, don't you think, General?_

"Whatever may come I will always be here."

"Whatever may come, I will always be here." _I should have known that by now. You always were._

"As I have given you my hand to hold,"

"As I have given you my hand to hold." _And what a kind, strong hand it turned out to be._

"So I give you my life to keep"

"So I give you my life to keep." Lucas' expression was unreadable to her now, yet the depth of emotion in his face threatened to overwhelm her.

"So help me God. Amen."

"So help me, God. Amen."

"Now your turn, Sami. Just like we practiced." Todd encouraged her." I, Samantha Gene Brady,"

"I, Samantha Gene Brady. take you, Lucas Desmond Roberts, to be my husband."

Sami tried to slow down for Todd but her excitement was pumping adrenalin like mad. Lucas grinned and nodded encouragement, his throat aching with regret that they hadn't made this happen long since.

"Okay, okay, take a deep breath now, we're more than halfway through. I will cherish our friendship and love you, today, tomorrow and for all the days of our life." Todd chuckled.

"I will cherish our friendship, and love you today, tomorrow and for all the days of our life." Sami echoed. _Omgd she really does mean that. Sami, we were always best friends. I won't let anything or anyone change that. Lucas told her, without saying a word aloud. _

"I will trust you and honor you"

"I will trust you and honor you." _Please believe me, Sami. I trust you with my life and what matter's more, our kid's lives._

"I will laugh with you and cry with you."

"I will laugh with you and cry with you." _I don't ever want to see you cry again, Sami, not for anything but joy, at least. But wow, it sure makes your eyes bright._

"I will love you faithfully"

"I will love you faithfully." _Well, I didn't think you were going to go chasing after Phillip or Rex. I know you, brat, you're a one man at a time, woman._

"Through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy."

"Through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy." _Easy? You call that easy?_ Lucas swallowed a laugh and nodded at her.

"Whatever may come I will always be here"

"Whatever may come I will always be here." Sami pointed to Lucas' heart and smiled back.

."As I have given you my hand to hold"

"As I have given you my hand to hold." _You've been working in the kitchen too much, Sami, you've got a new callous on your Cuisinart button pushing finger. I love your hands._

"So I give you my life to keep"

"So I give you my life to keep." Every minute of every hour for every day we're given.

"So help me God. Amen."

"So help me God. Amen."

"And now together, the verse Sami and Lucas have chosen is from the book of Ruth." Todd told the congregation.  
"Entreat me not to leave you,

or to return from following after you,  
For where you go I will go,  
and where you stay I will stay  
Your people will be my people,  
and your God will be my God.  
And where you die,

 I will die and there I will be buried.  
May the Lord do with me and more

 if anything but death parts you from me."

"And now, not surprisingly, these two have asked to add something further of their own choice, to say to each other, and to everyone who loves them. Sami, your turn to go first, this time." Todd smiled at the bride. Sami stood up and turned to face Lucas again, taking both his hands in her own.

"I want you and everyone to know that I found this poem in some keepsakes my mother got, quite awhile ago on a trip to the Smoky Mountains.

It's called The Conditions by a woman named Bennie Lee Sinclair.

Don't ask a vow of obedience

or try to do my thinking for me.

In this century the cause has been

that I might greet you as an equal.

Ask instead

If I will sleep in the crook of your arm

spend free hours with you

carry children yours and mine

beneath my heart

Then perhaps we can learn

if there are strong things

and sweet things

for which no battle need be fought."

Now Lucas shook his head, wanting to clear his eyes so that he had nothing between them and the cream and satin and lace vision named Sami facing him.

"A very good friend of ours suggested this ... promise to me, and I liked it and I think you will like it. So, thanks, Rivka. Thanks a lot.

I promise to share with you in times of  joy

as in times of trouble,

to talk and to listen,

to honor and appreciate you

to provide for and support you

in trust and in love."

Sami took a moment to glance in the direction of Rivka Cooper, which young woman was sitting towards the back of the church, wearing her patented innocent expression, and a white embroidered yarmulke. Then the bride turned back to her groom and they both turned back to Todd.

"Will, you're on." the young priest called out softly. bringing the boy at a near-canter to stand between his parents. In each hand he held one of their wedding rings, and these were safely conveyed to Todd for the blessing. After that, Will endured his parents embrace as long as possible, and left them for the relative safety of Andrew and Phillip.

"The wedding ring," Todd began. "is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Lucas and Samantha have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that Samantha and Lucas who give them and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives."

Now Todd turned towards Lucas and Sami, and handed one simple gold band to each. Nodding, instead of speaking to prompt the groom, Todd smiled and Lucas took up his part.

"Samantha, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed." Lucas slid the ring he'd been sent by his grandmother, Daphne Dimera, a white gold band that shone, he thought, like Sami's golden hair, onto his bride's left ring finger.

Sami knew she was shaking like a leaf, fear of the past and the present trying to drown her voice. But she took a deep breath and resolved to make this ceremony and what followed the best of her life.

"Lucas, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed." Then she slid Roman's gleaming wedding ring onto her groom's left ring finger.

That was Todd's cue and he took it up without missing a beat.

"In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, and shown that by the giving and recieving of these rings, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. You may kiss." Before he'd even finished that permission, the new marrieds were kissing and laughing, embracing and blushing and shedding a waterfall of happy tears. Letting them be, Todd Curtis turned to the congregation and said.

"I'm happy to present to you a new made family: Mr and Mrs Lucas and Sami Brady-Roberts, and their son, William."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

To celebrate the wedding many people, including the bride and groom thought would never take place, the wedding party and their guests adjourned to a soon to be opened club in Salem, under the joint ownership of Billie Reed and Liz Chandler Curtis. Kate, John, Tony and others were providing backing for this new venture and the place was brought up to specs under the watchful eyes of its co owners. The only thing still lacking was a mutually agreed upon name. And they needed one soon, The grand opening was planned for New Year's Eve, appropriately enough, but the chance to enjoy themselves in relative privacy had greatly appealed to both Sami and Lucas.

Tonight though, setting aside the usual Thanksgiving festivities, a crowd of current and previous Salemites was dancing, singing, feasting and toasting today's wedding in grand style. Tired but considerably more relaxed, the couple couldn't seem to stop grinning as their friends and family wished them only the best, over and over again.

"How many people did you say were at St Mark's?" Sami asked her brand new husband. The recieving line was finally over and her feet were aching all the way to her knees before she sat down.

"Four hundred and seventy two guests, two bridesmaids, one maid of honor, two ring bearers, one flower girl, one best man, three groomsmen and three parental units altogether. That brings us up to four hundred and eighty five, not counting the priest, the choir leader, twenty five choir members, three servers during the mass, about 90 various security people and the five of us." Lucas replied, patting Sami's gown just above her stomach.

"So we obviously topped 500." Sami continued, enjoying the way he let his hands lazily slide up and down her shoulders and arms.

"Easily. Maybe even closer to 600. Why?"

"Because if I know how many people were supposed to be there, and how many came on to the reception, I'll know when there's one too many."

"Sami, you said you were going to trust me, in fact you just got done taking a vow to that effect. And I told you, between Tony, John, Ops, Hope and the rest of them, we're covered. Relax, okay?"

"Yes, General." she laughed. "And just how do you know there are already five of us?"

"Cos I remember what you looked like when you came back to Salem, only a few months pregnant with Will. And that's the way you look right now. All kinda lit from inside."

" Are you implying that I would drink anything that would risk our daughters health? No? Oh, I get it, now I'm a candlelaria. Lucas, those are for Christmas, not Thanksgiving."

"Oh, yeah. And you said there was a reason you wanted me to marry you on Thanksgiving of all days. What was that?" Lucas asked,

"So I could do this if you got too silly." Sami said and politely popped a cranberry into his mouth.

"I can think of a better ... no, make that much better way to keep me quiet," Lucas winked at his bride of two hours. Then pulled her close for a kiss and won the applause, cheers, laughter and clinking glasses of the whole room.

"Encore, Encore!" Billie called out, only to be distracted by Mike who seemed to think she was talking to him.

Tony, sitting on Kate's right, now stood up and waited for the uproar to lessen.

"In my capacity as Lucas' best man, I feel it incumbent on myself to offer the first toast to the bride and groom." he said, smiling. "Fortunately the task is an easy and a happy one, as I have known the bride most of her life and the groom, well ... only a little while longer. To Samantha and Lucas, then, may you find only smooth roads and peaceful days, generous friends and loyal hearts as you begin another part of your journey together. May you know nothing but laughter and loving, and length of days in which to properly enjoy them. May any griefs you find be short and bittersweet, and may every happiness be yours and your children's, for many, many years to come. To the bride and groom!"

"To the bride and groom!" everyone echoed, and drank the toast.

And one after another, the people who loved them stood up to wish Lucas and Sami all the best and only the best. It was long after Tony's speech that Kate stood up to add her part.

"Now I know there are many people here who would have thought before a few months ago, that the last place I would be on the night my son Lucas married his son's mother, Sami, would be here, wishing them well and happy. But the truth is, someone many of us dearly loved began changing my attitude over a year ago. And he's here with us tonight as surely as I am. So what I'm going to say now, to our newlyweds doesn't only come from my heart, it comes from a man who made a place there despite my best, and my worst efforts to the contrary. I'm talking about Sami and Carrie's father, Roman Brady. And this is what I think he'd say if he were standing here with us tonight :

What the heck are you all sitting here with such long faces for? This has to be the best reason for partying anyone in Salem has had since G-d was a corporal! Lucas, you'd better believe me when I say nothing has ever made me happier than the look on your face while Sami was saying her vows to you and to G-d. Nothing in my life, ever. And Sami, girl, if I didn't get this through to you, well, I'm just going to have to try again. Seeing you smile like that, and hold to the man you truly love and want is the best thing I've seen since you were knee high to a peanut, Peanut. And knowing you've kept Ma and Da's Pub going for them, makes my heart sing. I mean it. I love you, Sami. I always will. You just have to know that. You ..." Kate broke down, even though she'd gotten the whole room ringing with laughter at her pitch perfect impersonation of Roman. And as Tony led her back to her place between himself and Lucas, Sami touched her mother in law's arm and mouthed a single, heartfelt 'thanks'.

"Just don't name one of your girls Kathy." Kate smiled tearily. "I always hated that nickname."

"Well, we could name one Beth." Sami answered, her eyes still shining.

"Beth Brady-Roberts?" Lucas piped in. "Not bad, But Will and I are holding out for Michael and David. Biblical, you know."

"What were you saying about a better way to keep you quiet?" Sami asked, turning her groom's face back to her own and warmly planting a kiss on his smiling mouth.

Glasses clinked merrily throughout the crowd, and then a gasp of pleasure was heard as Rivka led two of her brothers in, carrying the wedding cake. This marvel of the baker's art was not in the least traditional. Instead of multiple layers, It had two equal ones, one carrot cake, one apricot flavored.  Instead of a plastic bride and groom on top, it had icing flowers in perfect sugary copies of Sami's bouquet. And around the sides rather than on top were icing letters which could only be read close up. They said: November 23rd, 2004, Sami and Lucas, at long last! This drew giggles from all sides, even the newly marrieds, and all the fun of cutting and eating as much cake as possible took up the next few minutes.

But what surprised Lucas and Sami most, was what they found hidden under the cake cutting tools carried out for that pleasant, messy duty. It turned out to be a small airmail box, with a return address of Knossos, Crete. And inside were a miniature audio tape and a sworn avadavat, signed by Victor Kiriakis and witnessed by not only a notary but his son and grandson. The statement purported to be the only existing copy of something Victor had held over Sami and indirectly Lucas,

"He said he wanted you to have the only wedding gift he alone could give you." Brady said, standing up and walking over to the bridal table. "Freedom. He'd wanted to give the same gift to Nicole, before she died. And I think that really turned my grandfather's head around. He and I and Phillip all hope you will accept it."

"Since it was cleared by our security team." John said, "I'm willing to take it at face value."

"But I'm not," Tony argued "Until my security chief gives his approval. That device could be packed with explosives. And we've already had one attempt on our lives today. I have no desire to be generous or careless regarding the supposed gift of a man who hates our combined families."

Ops had been a step behind Brady, and Shane Donovan a step behind them. Now the agent who had partnered John spoke up.: "Count Dimera, I'm fine with your team checking this out completely. Every test I could run shows its nothing more than what the avadavit claims. But if I didn't believe we're better safe than sorry, I'd be lousy at my job. So, lets take it out of here and everyone can relax."

"I agree with you, dear Ops." a young woman's deep voice called out. "There's no threat in what the old Greek sent. And it may even be a genuine gesture of good will on his part. I don't know and I couldn't care less. It served its purpose in distracting most of you fine Salemites while I made my way in."

John Black turned and swallowed a gasp of surprise. The woman walking towards them was a younger, slimmer, and much angrier version of a woman he'd only met briefly before her death years ago. There was no mistaking in her dark hair, Mediterranean features and nearly-black eyes that this was Rosa Adrianna, Orpheus' daughter. "Rosa..." he started to say.

"Close your mouth, you murderer." she cried.

"Rosa, I didn't kill your mother, and in fact, even though I thought it was true, it turns out I didn't kill your father, either."

"You are a liar and a murderer. I was there. Did that simple fact of history slip your mind? You came there, posing as the man who killed my mother, You said it had grieved you for years. You said you understood my father's drive for vengeance better than you wanted to. And then you shot him to death. And we were taken far away by strangers, separated and lost to one another, my brothers and I. They're dead too, and their blood is as much on your hands as my parents."

"Sami, no!" Lucas screamed as his bride walked around their table to face the dark stranger. But she wasn't going to be dissuaded, not even by the man she'd married only a few hours before.

"And their blood" she said quietly to the woman who was only a year or so younger than herself. "The blood that you believe is on my stepfather's hands, that is why you tried to kill everyone I love?"

"I nearly did just that. And I will do it again, and again until everyone who drove my father to his death has paid the price in full." the dark girl shouted, and pulled a knife off the cake plate. "Then you'll have to kill me, my dear. Your father worked for my father you see, until his madness overwhelmed his reason. We haven't met, my name is Antony Dimera. And I shot your father to put an end to at least one madman's reign of terror." Tony said, earning cries of protest from Lucas, Kate, Sami, Rex, Cassie and John. "And even if you did kill me now, my operatives would not think twice about returning the favor. So, unless you are tired of living, I suggest you give up the game now. You see in my family, we don't take kindly to threats against our children, not at all. It may indeed be my only similarity to the Phoenix that I don't mind admitting to. Now, stop this foolish vendetta. Give me that knife or use it, now."

"What makes you think I won't?" Rosa demanded. "What?"

"Because you would have done so already. And because if you'd wanted to die so much, you would have remained in Salem this summer after poisoning half the town. You could have been the fifty ninth fatality and no one would have known who you were. You would have been just another victim of that mutant virus, and no one would ever have caught on. And I know that's not what you want. Now, is it?"

"I want the people who murdered my parents to pay!" Rosa shrilled.

"We already have." Tony snarled, dropping his quiet tone. "My sister, Lucas' and Sami's brothers, Victor's wife, John's wife, Laura's daughter, granddaughter and husband, Michael's sister, niece and grandmother, Sami's uncle and grandparents, and forty three other innocents died before your virus was defeated. And I think that was fifty-eight too many for anyone's imagined grievance. You're a child! You're hardly older than my daughter and her half sisters! And you are the one standing here with their blood on your hands. So if you have such hatred for murderers, I suggest you turn that damned blade on yourself."

"What makes you think I won't once I've rid the world of all of you?" the mad girl demanded.

"Because," Lucas walked over. "Like the man said, you would have done it already. But you're a coward, aren't you? You're a filthy, sneaking coward, attacking people you've never seen and never known, except for Marlena who cared for you as a child, and John whose real name you didn't even know. You killed babies, and little kids, emergency workers and doctors, nurses and techs, and worst of all, you murdered the kindest, gentlest woman who ever walked the earth. And you don't even know who I'm talking about so let me explain.

I'm talking about a woman who sheltered and fed and helped everyone in this town, and whose heart was big enough to hold all of them in her love and her prayers. I'm talking about a woman who knew for years that I was no blood to her and never changed her feelings or her actions towards me. And for you to stand there and compare killing Alice Horton and all those kids and their parents and their friends to what Tony or John or Roman may have done to rid the world of the lunatic who fathered you? Well it makes me a little bit crazy myself."

"Then you kill me." Rosa demanded, gesturing as if she would hand the knife to Lucas.

"Lucas, please don't go any closer!" Sami cried. "She is crazy. We know that. And taking her life is too good for her, and too much for me to take after you promised to stay with me ... not four hours ago! Lucas, are you going to make me say it again?"

"Sami ... " Lucas began and then smiled quietly. "I really like it when you do. But its your wedding day and the last thing I want to do is shed blood, believe me. So, if you feel like telling everyone just how you feel about me, go ahead. I'm sure they'd be glad to know there's some hope for a guy like me, after all."

"Lucas Desmond Roberts," Kate interjected. "What kind of nonsense are you talking? Get away from that lunatic. Please, haven't you given me enough grey hair?"

"It's okay, Kate." Billie piped in, "Lucas is risking himself for his family and I think it might be a good, hopeful thing if Sami let this nutcase know what people who love each other are willing to do or say. How about it, sis?"

"Well, sis, with your encouragement. I sure Hope this helps." Sami took another step and stood beside Lucas, grasping his hand. "Rosa, we've never met, but we kinda have something in common. Our parents are dead, and so are a lot of our families. I never knew how much I could hurt until the day I knew my dad was gone. You must have felt the same and if I'm right, you were only four or five at the time.

My name is Sami, Samantha Gene Brady Roberts. I just married this crazy man this afternoon, so that explains why I'm acting a bit nutty myself. Right? But you see it took us a long, long time to get here. And some of it was worth every minute, and some wasn't. But you see, there's something else not everyone in the room was going to get to know today. We are pretty sure, we don't know yet, but we're hoping that we're expecting. Twins. Great, huh? Weren't your brothers, Theo and Vincente twins?"

"No! You idiot!" Rosa screamed. "Theo had just turned six when our father was killed. Vincente was nearly seven! And why should I care who died here this summer? As far as I'm concerned it wasn't nearly enough!"

"I was expecting you to say something like that." Hope Williams Brady commented, walking up beside Rosa and knocking the younger woman to

the floor, while kicking the knife out of her reach. "But you see, you picked on the wrong town, for all the wrong reasons. You endangered us all, including our kids, and if that wasn't bad enough, you murdered my grandmother, her second oldest son, two of her granddaughters and one great granddaughter,  And as if that wasn't enough, you murdered some of my best friends, and you murdered my guy. I don't take that kind of thing lightly. So I'm not going to let any of my family and friends here give you the quick, easy death you say you want. No, I'm going to help them make sure that

you have a long, unhappy life behind the bars of a prison or the gates of a mental hospital. Got it?"

"No. Why do you want me to stay alive?" their common enemy asked. "Why?"

"So that you can spend the rest of your life learning the worth, the gifts and the light you snuffed out of our lives. And if it takes you till you're older than my Gran was, that's just fine by me."

Then Hope looked up at the wedding party and sighed. "I'm sorry guys, I was tracking her every minute, and somehow at the last minute she gave me the slip. Not that it was any stretch to guess she'd come here. Shawn, you can quit covering the doorway, now. She's down."

Hope's older son walked in and shook his head at his mother's solo. "You never let me have any of the fun!" he protested, but with a grin reminiscent of his dad's plastered across his face. Until the woman who had done them all such harm was taken away, cursing and screaming hysterically, celebrants were quiet, even subdued. Then the music started up and Cassie, Belle, Phillip and Andrew ran around the tables, with one suggestion

 for everyone.

"First dance!" the whole room was suddenly calling out. "First dance!"

At that point, Billie Reed rushed to the stage, grabbed the mic and began to hum and then to sing a Rodgers and Hart ballad.

_"I won't tell of my love to the red, red rose, _

_or the running brook where the sweet magnolia grows, _

_I won't tell of my love to evry little star, _

_or the whippoorwill on the hill, afar:_

_I'll tell the man in the street, _

_And everyone I meet,_

_ that you and I are sweet hearts, _

_I'll shout it out from the roofs _

_And give the papers proof_

_ that we two are complete hearts,_

_I want the world to know _

_I'll use the radio!_

_And when I've had all my say, _

_you may be old and gray,_

_But you won't run away, from me."_

And before they quite knew what was happening, the bride and groom were in each other's arms, dancing and whirling around the floor,

and grinning at each other like a pair of mischievous brats.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

As the wedding night went on, the families and friends gathered, including the new groom and bride showed no inclination to cut their celebration short. They were too happy, and too relieved to want to break up the party or the feeling. Hours later, when most newlyweds would have been packed and gone on their honeymoon, their friends and families were happily noting that Lucas and Sami seemed to have withdrawn into their own small world, laughing and kissing and embracing and dancing together.

And the music went happily on as well, especially when Billie and Liz began coaxing the more musically inclined guests to join them on stage. Doug Williams, despite his now silver hair still possessed a silver voice and shared it to everyone's delight. Melissa Anderson, arrived late and wowed the special audience with excerpts and memories from her latest tour. And at one point the groom himself was cajoled into working out the last of his nervous energy on a brand new set of drums. But mostly one love song after another warmed their hearts that night, As diverse and as loving as the audience itself, was the music that filled the room. And taking back the stage, Liz Chandler Curtis stopped the show with her favorite medley, joined in turn by Kayla Johnson, Scott Banning, Doug Williams and Billie Reed. The fair-haired songstress began with:

_"Right as the rain that falls from above,_

_So real, so right is our love_

_It came like the spring_

_That falls from the clouds,_

_I can't say yet what it will bring,_

_I only know, I only know,_

_Its right to believe, _

_Whatever gave your eyes that smile,_

_Whatever gave my heart this song, _

_Can't be wrong!_

_Its right as the rain, that falls from above,_

_And fills the world with the glow_

_Of our love."_

_"People,_

_People who need people_

_Are the luckiest people in the world_

_We're children, _

_Needing other children_

_And yet, letting our grown up pride_

_Hide all the need inside_

_Acting more like children,_

_Than children_

_Lovers_

_Are very special people_

_They're the luckiest people_

_In the world_

_With one person,_

_One very special person_

_A feeling deep in your soul _

_Says you were half, now you're whole_

_No more hunger and thirst_

_But first_

_Be a person who needs people_

_People who need people_

_Are the luckiest people in the world!"_

_"When you walk through a storm_

_Hold your head up high_

_And don't be afraid of the dark_

_At the end of a storm_

_There's a golden sky_

_And the sweet, silver song, of a lark_

_Walk on through the night_

_Walk on through the rain_

_Though your dreams be tossed and blown_

_Walk on, walk on_

_With hope in your heart_

_And you'll never walk alone_

_You'll never walk alone."_

Then she invited Kayla to sing with her, a song that has as many meanings as it has had listeners, ever since Amanda McBroom penned it.

_"Some say  love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed_

_Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed_

_Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless, aching need_

_I say love, it is a flower, and you its only seed._

_It's the heart afraid of breaking_

_                that never learns to dance,_

_It's the dream afraid of waking_

_                that never takes a chance_

_It's the one who won't be taken_

_                who cannot seem to give_

_And the soul afraid of dying_

_                who never learns to live._

_When the night has been too lonely_

_And the road has been too long_

_And you think that love is only_

_For the lucky and the strong._

_Just remember in the winter _

_Far beneath the bitter snows_

_Lies a seed_

_That with the sun's love_

_In the spring becomes the rose."_

Next was Billie's turn again, and there was no one in the room that night who wondered to whom she was dedicating her song.

_"The first time I loved forever_

_Was When you whispered my name_

_And I knew at once you loved me_

_For the me of who I am_

_The first time I loved forever_

_I cast all else aside_

_And I bid my heart to follow _

_Be there no more need to hide_

_And if wishes and dreams _

_are merely for children_

_And if love's a tale for fools_

_I'll live the dream with you._

_For all my life and forever_

_There's a truth I'll always know_

_When my world divides and shatters_

_Your love is where I'll go."_

A low murmur ran around the room, but was silenced by what happened as the intro to the next song began. Carrie stood up from her place next to Anna on Tony's right, and slowly, deliberately walked over to Mike. For just a single, long moment, she held him at arm's length and whirled him towards the stage. The Sami's older sister accepted the moveable mic from Billie, and turned to face everyone else.

"This song once meant a great deal to me. It still does. And tonight, I want to sit back and watch it be played for and danced to by two people I care about greatly and love even more, because they've made me their friend again, despite ... a lot of water under the bridge. Billie Holiday Reed and Michael William Horton, who I predict, will be following in my sister's footsteps before too very long. What do you think? Then Carrie surprised the crowd again, by softly singing:

_"How do I, get through a night without you? _

_If I had to live without you, what kind of life would that be? _

_Oh I, I need you in my arms, need you to hold. _

_You're my world, my heart, my soul . . . _

_If you ever leave, baby, you would take _

_Away everything good in my life!_

_ And tell me now, how do I live without you?_

_ I want to know, how do I breathe without you?_

_If you ever go, how do I ever, ever survive? _

_How do I, how do I, _

_Oh, how do I live?_

_Without you, there'd be no sun in my sky,_

_There would be no love in my life,_

_ there'd be no world left for me._

_And I, baby I don't know what I would do I'd be lost if I lost you_

_If you ever leave baby you would take away everything real in my life._

_And tell me now, how do I live without you?_

_ I want to know, how do I breathe without you?_

_If you ever go, how do I ever, ever survive?_

_ How do I, how do I, _

_Oh, how do I live?_

_Oh, how do I live? Please tell me baby, _

_How do I go on, If you ever leave, _

_Baby, don't you know that you're _

_Everything good in my life?_

_And tell me now, how do I live without you?_

_ I want to know, how do I breathe without you?_

_If you ever go, how do I ever, ever survive?_

_ How do I, how do I, _

_oh, how do I live?"_

And when Carrie was done, and disappeared into the embrace of her loving friends, another hand took the mic and sang a more old fashioned song.

_"Once upon a time, _

_Someone with moonlight in her eyes, _

_Took me by the hand, and said she loved me so,_

_But that was once upon a time_

_Very long ago._

_Once upon a hill,_

_We sat beneath a willow tree,_

_Counting all the stars,_

_And waiting for the dawn,_

_But that was once upon a time_

_Now the tree is gone_

_How the wind whispered in her hair_

_How we always laughed as if tomorrow_

_Wasn't there_

_We were young then and didn't have a care_

_Where did it go?_

_Once upon a time, _

_The world was sweeter than we knew,_

_Everything was ours, how happy we were then,_

_But somehow once upon a time, never comes again." _

Scott Banning sang, proving his musical inheritance from proud mom Trish.

The next singer got an instant round of applause and an instant laugh as he began a Lerner and Lowe melody:

"How to handle a woman?

There's a way said the wise, old man

A way known to every woman

Since the whole rigmarole began.

Do I flatter her, I begged him answer,

Do I threaten or cajole, or plead

Do I brood or play the gay romancer

Said he smiling, no indeed.

How to handle a woman,

Mark me well, I will tell you so,

The way to handle a woman,

Is to love her

Simply love her

Merely love her, love her, love her."

Doug Williams finished his number with cheers from the men present and catcalls from the women. Laughing and bowing he handed the mic back to Liz, who explained that the next song was a special request, from the newly minted groom, for his newly married bride.

"Once upon a time  
Once when you were mine  
I remember skies  
Reflected in your eyes  
I wonder where you are  
I wonder if you  
Think about me  
Once upon a time  
In your wildest dreams  
Once the world was new  
Our bodies felt the morning dew  
That greets the brand new day  
We couldn't tear ourselves away  
I wonder if you care  
I wonder if you still remember  
Once upon a time  
In your wildest dreams  
And when the music plays  
And when the words are  
Touched with sorrow  
When the music plays  
I hear the sound  
I had to follow

Once upon a time

Once beneath the stars  
The universe was ours  
Love was all we knew  
And all I knew was you  
I wonder if you know  
I wonder if you  
Think about it  
Once upon a time  
In your wildest dreams  
And when the music plays  
And when the words are  
Touched with sorrow  
When the music plays  
And when the music plays  
I hear the sound  
I had to follow  
Once upon a time

Once upon a time  
Once when you were mine  
I remember skies  
Mirrored in your eyes  
I wonder where you are  
I wonder if you  
Think about me  
Once upon a time  
In your wildest dreams  
In your wildest dreams  
In your wildest dreams"

The bride seemed pleased by his effort, and signaled Billie and Scott wordlessly, to return the favor. with words and music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, this time.

_"Do I love you because you're wonderful,_

_Or are you wonderful_

_Because I love you?_

_Have I only wishfully made of you_

_Someone too lovely to be really true_

_Are you the sweet imagining of a lovers dream?_

_Or are you really as wonderful _

_As you seem?"_

But as just about everyone could have guessed, and most of them had wished, the last song came back where it belonged, to the pair of singers who first recorded it. Liz Chandler and Carl Anderson.

"What would you say if I told you  
I've always wanted to hold you?  
I don't know what we're afraid of  
Nothing would change if we made love  
'cause I'll be your friend  
And I'll be your lover  
Well, I know in our hearts we agree  
We don't have to be one or the other

Yes, it's a chance that we're taking  
And somebody's heart may be breaking  
But we can't stop what's inside us  
Our love for each other will guide us

I've been through you  
And you've been through me  
Sometimes a friend is the hardest to see  
We always know when it's laid on the line  
Nobody else is as easy to find

So I'll be your friend  
And I'll be your lover  
Well, I know in our heart we agree  
We don't have to be one or the other."

Finally, the party began winding down. Some of the guests had traveled across country, and others from even farther corners of the world. Every available hotel, motel and living room couch in Salem was booked for the weekend and their day had been long, exhausting and exhilarating. Only one ritual was left to complete and that only when the bride came back from the dressing rooms in a very retro silvery grey-blue silk suit and hat, that she had almost chosen to be married in. Now the male wedding guests did their best to form a horseshoe shaped circle behind their female counterparts, Luckily, this remnant of tribal custom required only the single or voluntarily available women present. Otherwise the prize about to be competed for would have ended up as strewn petals and leaves.

Sami laughed at the line of eager faces, about half of whom she was related to by blood or now, by marriage. "There's only one of these." she teased them. "And pieces don't count! So, try to behave like the ladies we all know you are ... NOT." Turning her back to them and winding up the best pitching arm in her junior high softball league, Sami tossed her bouquet as high and wide as she could. And she hit her target, just as planned. With a shout of surprised triumph, the crowd of women parted, showing someone no one else expected, grasping the bouquet.

"The Man in the Street" from "I married an Angel" by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers

"Right as the Rain" by EY Harburg and Harold Arlen

"People" from Funny Girl by Jules Styne

"Never Walk Alone from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel

"The Rose" by Amanda McBroom

The First Time I loved forever

_from CBS' Beauty and the Beast_

_lyrics by Melanie/Melody by Lee Holdridge_

_How to handle a Woman? from "Camelot" by Jay Lerner and Alan Lowe_

_How do I live?  written by Diane Warren copyright 1997, recorded by LeAnn Rimes_

Once upon a Time, recorded by Frank Sinatra, and others written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams for their musical "All American" 

_Do I love you? from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella_

Your Wildest Dream The Moody Blues  
(Justin Hayward)  
Friends and Lovers  
-Artists; Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson  
-peak Billboard position # 2 in 1986  
-Words and Music by Paul Gordon and Jay Gruska


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

"Jamie Caldwell, as I live and breath!" Billie called out and hurried to greet the young woman who had been living away from Salem for six or seven years. But Sami was only a few steps behind the singer, clutching Lucas' hand as she brought him along to welcome her childhood friend.

"You said you might be late." Sami scolded and hugged Jamie all at once. "But until a couple minutes ago, I didn't realize what great timing you still have. Grrrlfrnd, I have only two other questions to ask you."

"What?" the slim brunette asked, grinning as she tried to return the bouquet. .

"Did you bring him and where the heck is he if you did?" Sami demanded.

"He's ... " Jamie looked around, and then smiled brightly as she beckoned a dark man with an intense expression over to her side. "He's right here. Sami, Billie, Lucas, this gorgeous guy has been my... best friend for nearly five years, Sean MacRoberts, and last month when I was directing a play at my community college, he proposed in front of the whole company and the dress rehearsal audience! And it was the same day I got your invitation, so I just have to say thanks for inspiring him, guys. We're engaged. Sean, love, these are my three best friends from when I still lived in Salem, Lucas Roberts, Sami ... Roberts and Billie Reed."

"Very glad I am to meet you." MacRoberts said, shaking hands with Lucas, and venturing to chastely kiss both Billie and the new bride. "Possibly we're related." he added, turning back to Lucas. "Have ye any ancestors in Scotland?"

"None that I know of." Lucas replied, thinking that Jamie looked as happy as Sami, and that couldn't be a bad thing. "Some in Ireland now, though, by marriage, at least. Jamie, you look great. I'm really glad you made it back."

"I couldn't have missed this day!" Jamie laughed, erasing any lingering concern Lucas had about her long ago crush on him. "I think I always knew it would happen."

"Then I wish you would have told us!" Sami laughed back. "Think of all the time and energy we could have saved."

"Okay, Sami, I just told you my good news, when before you leave for the honeymoon are you going to tell me yours?" Jamie demanded.

"My ...Omigosh!" Sami exclaimed, "Not you too!" tired nearly to exhaustion but happy. the bride sighed dramatically and went down the often repeated list. "We think so, probably early next July, twins. Will and Lucas want two boys, I'd like two girls, but nobody really cares as long as they are safe and healthy."

"Jamie, these two are going to be out of town as of tomorrow ni ... I mean as of tonight." Billie told the newcomer. "But I'd be glad to have lunch or dinner with you two if you're staying over. We can compare notes."

"Compare notes on what?" Mike Horton demanded, walking up to claim Billie's left arm and the rest of her. "Jamie, Its wonderful to see you! You look terrific!"

Now the remaining wedding guests began to crowd around the last arrived pair and those who had known Jamie while she grew up in Salem welcomed her and Sean warmly. This caused the party to go on until the first glimmerings of dawn. Will was once again going to spend a few days with his LA cousins, and made a great show of disappointment, which noone believed. With that settled, the newlyweds were chased out of the club and into their waiting car, in a shower of rice and confetti. Cuddling in the backseat, oblivious to the likely crushing of her silk outfit, Sami suddenly realized she had no idea where Lucas was taking her.

"Relax, Mrs Brady-Roberts." Lucas grinned. "I have everything under control. This is the grooms' part of the planning, remember?"'

"Just promise me one thing."

"Okay?"

"No two things, Promise we aren't going either to Chicago or to the GML, please, Lucas."

"Sami, Sami, Sami, do you really think I want to tempt fate? Oh ye of little faith."

"Faith is your cousin, technically, not mine." Sami joked.

"Then why won't you tell me where ..."

"Because we're already where we're going ... for the rest of the day, anyhow. I'm amazed that you forgot our first idea. Well, you've had a bit of a day."

"Ya think?" Sami would have rolled down the window, but the early November morning was as breezy as it was sunlit. Fighting her native impatience, she waited as Lucas walked around the car and opened the door, holding out his arm. They were standing at the end of a walk, that led to a rambling, shingle roofed Victorian style house, with bric-a-brac and gingerbread carvings for decoration along the porch, the doorway and the shutters. And the clapboard style siding was painted a refreshing soft green. But what finally got Sami's attention away from her admiration of the snow-dusted yard, the trees and the house itself, was Lucas. He was walking over to and pulling something out of the front lawn. It was, on closer examination, a realtor's sign, with a narrow placard fixed to the top.

"Lucas Brady-Roberts, put that back!" Sami worried. "I don't know what you're up to, but this house is obviously for sale and you can't just ..."

"This houseobviously  **was** for sale." Lucas contradicted her. "It was just sold seven days ago, as the sign here in my hands indicates. "And I can do just about anything I want here, cos I bought it. The Wesley's needed a place with space for a playroom and more, so they picked out a duplex closer to the hospital. And I lucked out cos they really needed to close the sale here to be able to deal with the fees and costs there.  So, with that being the case, don't you think we should get inside? It's not exactly warm out here."

"But the Pub, the loft ... what?  Who?"

"The Pub is running like clockwork, the loft is Rivka's, we talked about that. And the rooms below the loft are going to be crash space for the people who work too hard and too long there to return home at night. But my wife is not going to be one of them. No way."

"Lucas, my grandparents lived over the Pub from the time they opened it, and before that they lived over their Market. And I partly grew up, up there."

"And all the lovely and not so lovely scents from a working kitchen have been steaming up through those floor boards for how long?" Lucas asked, marveling at her decision to debate this matter, here and now.

"Are you saying there's something wrong ..."

"With the way your grandparents raised your father, your aunts and uncles, and you and Eric and Carrie? No. I'm just saying you told me a long time ago that you wanted a house of your own. And I thought about buying Roman's but then I thought no, too many of the unhappy kinds of memories there. So, let's at least go in for the night and have a look see."

"Lucas ...I've seen the inside of ..." Sami started and then realized that she was so tired and so happily surprised that she couldn't think of anything to say, for nearly half a minute. "Lucas, yes, please, take me home."

"Just as you say, my dear." Lucas laughed and proceeded to lift and carry his new bride up the step to the porch and into their new home.

Later Sami would recall getting only brief impressions of the redecorating and refurnishing that must have gone on while she was busy with flowers, gowns, suits and the Pub. And she knew she would want to investigate every inch of the place Lucas had chosen. But most of all she wanted to make sure her newly coined husband knew exactly how much this surprise meant to his newly coined wife.

"Wife." she said out loud as Lucas led her into their bedroom. "Lucas, I'm your wife."

"That's what Todd said." Lucas agreed, setting the lights low. "He said he pronounced us husband and wife. And then he said I could do this."

Lucas claimed her mouth warmly and kissed Sami so ardently that she could feel it to the tips of her toes, and elsewhere.

"Funny, " she said when she came up for air. "I thought he said I could do this."

Sami answered and returned the kiss, with feeling.

"Be my guest." Lucas smirked "But don't you think you're still a little over dressed?" He had started caressing and kissing her neck and shoulders making a lovely warmth spread through her.

"Lucas, are you seriously trying to ravish a probably pregnant, married woman?" Sami giggled, as her hands started to roam over his shoulders and down his back of their own accord.

"Only the one I just married." he answered, "She's all I want."

"Oh good answer."

"I've got a better one, But this suit has got to go."

"In that case, so does your tux, your shirt and that tie!." Sami laughed and set to work eagerly. It was full morning again by the time the newly marrieds woke up in each other's arms. And it wasn't because of anything inside their new home. Instead, outside the window Sami had left open only a smidgen, a clanging, clattering, howling noise was rising.

"Did it snow this morning?" Sami muttered. "Is that a snow blower?"

"No, no, that's voices." Lucas groaned. " And I recognize some of them! How the heck did they find out ..."

"Wake up, you slugabeds!" Carrie, Scott, Hope, Billie, Mike, Rivka, Phillip, Cassie, Jamie, Sean, Jeannie, Andrew and Belle were hollering, from the walk outside. "You forgot something!"

"We forgot ... No, I don't think we forgot anything important." Lucas turned a completely puzzled gaze to Sami.

"Definitely not anything important," She grinned. "Oh wait a minute! We did!"

"Sami, what?"

"Lucas, I tossed my bouquet to the ladies, but you were supposed to throw something else to the guys, Lucas, my garter?"

"Oh ..ah ... great, Where is the darn thing?"

"Wherever you threw it earlier this morning when you decided to ..." Sami felt her face grow hot. "When you kept insisting I was wearing too much clothing."

"Oh, okay. Then I know just where it went." Lucas laughed. He raised his eyes to the brass coat rack by the bedroom door and pointed out to Sami where the satin ribbon and lace-bordered item had landed. In another moment, he held it in his left hand. Then realizing he was running around the room in his skivvies, the new husband pulled a wool blanket around himself and crossed to the window. Just his appearance drew a wild cheer from the laughing crowd below. When he opened the window wider, they went into clanging, clapping and catcalling, until Sami, gathering Lucas tux jacket around her shoulders, stood next to Lucas there.

"Don't you have anything better to do the day after Thanksgiving? Shopping? Tree cutting? Shopping? Leftovers? Football? Shopping?" she laughed.

"Not till we get what we came for!" Jamie answered. 

"Jamie, the tradition is for one of the guys to catch the garter. Don't be greedy, you already caught my bouquet."

"Yeah, she's right, guys, up front, and you ... ladies, if that applies here, back up." Lucas insisted.

"Let's find out who's got the best pitching arm in this family, here and now. One, Two, Three!"

An early morning breeze caught the lightweight object and five strong arms reached for the prize. But only one hand caught it and Lucas grinned brightly.

"You go, Mike!" he called, as the doctor turned back towards Billie. Sami laughed along with the rest as Billie gave her guy his well-earned reward. This led to another cheer that was only silenced by more embracing throughout the small group. Then Cassie waved to the newlyweds and called.

"Hey. let us in, we brought breakfast from the Pub and its ffffreezing out here!"

"What?" Sami and Lucas chorused, laughing as they realized they were ravenous, for each other, but for edibles as well.

"Waffles.  cantelope," Belle began to recite. "Juice, Toast, Tea, Eggs, Cream Cheese and Bagels."

"Perfect!" was the answer, and as fast as they could get into something warm, the slacks and sweaters a thoughtful friend had stashed in the new house, Lucas and Sami were opening the door to their first guests.

"Sami," Lucas asked her hours later, when they were flying south and west over the Rockies. "You didn't mind spending so much time today with half a house full instead of just you and me?"

"Something you don't know about me, at last." Sami smiled, kissing the furrow worry set in his forehead. "I grew up in a house big enough for probably ten people. And when I wasn't there, I was with one pair or the others of my grandparents, and they had these huge places too. Well they seemed huge to me, and empty. So empty. Even when I was too young to know what and who was missing, Lucas, I knew something was wrong, something was missing. I want our house, our home to be as full of the people we love as we can squeeze in without it bursting."

"So, you're really okay about moving away from upstairs of the Pub? "He asked.

"At least until our kids need a place to send their kids when they're out battling the world." she answered, laughing at and loving his concern..

"Our kids ... their ..." Lucas pretended to mourn. "What have I got myself into?"

"A family, Lucas." Sami answered, leaning in to a kiss. "Our very own family."


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

Three weeks later

Will Brady-Roberts was running up and down the length of the Air Pacific terminal at Salem International, using up as much energy as he could, so that he wouldn't knock his parents flat on their return. He was rested and tanned himself from spending half his time on the beach outside Kim's condo. And he was trying not to wear out the patience of the people who had come with him to welcome the newlyweds home again. These were Kate and Billie, Belle, who'd just returned from her own trip to LA, Phillip, Mimi and most surprising of all, Victor Kiriakis, who had returned from Cyprus only a few days before. No one else so much as thought of asking Victor's purpose, but Will having passed his eleventh birthday, had no such inhibitions, fear of authority figures.

"Do you like my mom, now?" the boy demanded to know.

"Will, I wouldn't say that I ever liked or disliked Sami. But things have changed for all of us. And ...let's just say, I don't want our disagreements to continue. They never helped anyone. So, I've called for an armistice and I believe that's what both your parents and your grandmother want now."

"Okay," Will went on pondering the big words Victor used. "Then why did you come here today?"

"To make certain that your mother, and father understand I want an end to our past troubles. I've reached the same understanding with your grandmother. I would have done so with my ... with Nicole, had she survived the epidemic. When you get to be my age, William, you'll understand even better that bitterness and anger only weigh the spirit down. It's no way to live, and I've tried living that way for far too long. Or wouldn't you agree, Kate?"

"I agree completely." Basic Black's CEO nodded, walking up to them. "I think we all learned the hardest way possible that understanding, friendship, even love is not something to be put off or discarded. Will, now that you're so grown up, I'm not going to make an excuse; I'm just going to ask you to let me talk with Victor for a moment. Okay?"

"Yeah." Will grinned, reminding Kate vividly of his father, and his late uncle. "I gotta check the flight times again, anyway."

"So, what is it that you think will prove to Sami, or to Lucas that you've had a change of heart?"

"The same kind of gesture that I thought convinced you the other day, Kate." Victor answered, and pulled out the contents of a glove leather courier type pouch. "I'm giving them every single bit of information, every copy and every file that I've held for ... far too long now, of anything might have been held against either one of them. It's a lot of the same things I gave you, minus the details that my investigators gathered before our wedding."

Kate grimaced. Even now she hated the thought of things she'd done to keep body and soul together when Lucas was growing up. And the things she'd done more recently sometimes made Kate Roberts wonder if some madwoman had taken over her life and her mind. She had no idea if the people who knew all that would ever be able to let it go. So it amazed her, still, that Victor, her accomplice in much of it, seemed to have that goal.

"Victor, forgive my bluntness, but you haven't had a setback recently, have you?"

"Are you asking if I have one foot in the grave and is that why I want a little peace in my world and what's left of my family?" Victor openly laughed. " The answer, strangely enough, is no. Spending time with Brady, getting some understanding of the mistakes I made with him, with you, with Phillip, with Nicole, with Bo and with Caroline most of all, getting another chance with my daughter; all that has turned my head around."

"Well, it's a pure miracle that Isabella is alive and back with John. I think even Marlena would be glad of that. She never wanted him to be alone. You know, some days I think I almost miss her more than I do Roman."

"And I so hoped to be making up for that lack." Tony Dimera smiled, walking up to his friends and competitors, and kissing Kate's hand. "Where have I failed, Katherine?"

"You never were, and I thank G-d never will be my shrink." Kate answered, laughing, and happily accepting Tony's embrace.

"Oh so do I." Tony agreed. "Too much knowledge as they say, can be a dangerous thing. That's why I all but dragged my twins out of their studies today, and packed them off to start shopping. I too miss Marlena, though. She'd be so pleased to see how well Rex is doing with his anger management therapy, and how bright Cassie is proving herself in her language and arts classes."

"I guess you're wondering why I called you all here." John Black laughed, making his presence known.

"As long as it isn't to bring anything but one more welcome to our wandering newlyweds." Kate asked, trying to read John's face.

"Well, that's part of it. But I'm also getting ready to make some changes and I want to take Isabella to a couple places we have good memories of, That's why I turned the CEO's office and title over to Kate. And I need to get away. I never much cared for the winters in this part of the world."

"That's because you were born half Italian, a citizen of the Mediterranean."

Tony claimed. "But I have a sense, brother, that there's something you're not telling us. What's wrong?"

"Yes, John, please. If there's something we need to know, tell us now." Kate urged.

"And I would like to know where you're going off to with the daughter I've had back for less than a month." Victor frowned.

"We're not leaving until after Christmas, Vic. Isabella wouldn't hear of it. But the truth is, after that I'm putting the townhouse on the market. Cassie and Belle and Mimi have taken over the loft, Brady's in New York half the time, with the music division and Chloe. I don't ... we don't need the space."

"And you can't turn your head around there without seeing and feeling Marlena." ate nodded. "That was how I felt when I walked through Roman's house, before Carrie and Sami decided to sell it."

"Yeah." John admitted. "I'm building a new place, closer to the park. I figure we'll travel for a few weeks and then become the house guests you can't get rid of until its finished. Then we can really start over. I did get a heads up from Ops the other day, though."

All three of his listeners froze for a moment and then waited for John to continue. "Both of our ... both prisoners are seeking extradition, on the basis that they aren't citizens here. The Feds don't seem to be worried about it. And frankly, sometimes I wish they would try to get away. It would be so tempting ..." John sighed. "And it would dishonor everyone we lost this year."

"You're not the only one who's entertained that line of thought, John." Victor told his son in law.

"They struck at all of us, brother. We'd all to some extent like to see them as dead and lost as our friends and kin." Tony added.

"Is their trial opening soon?" Kate asked, thinking grimly of the son she'd lost, and the many friends.

"Just after the first of the year." John answered.

"What are their chances of getting off?" Victor asked.

"Slim. Its a strong case, Orpheus' daughter carried lethally hazardous materials across at least two international borders. And my adopted brother has already admitted he wanted to kill as many people here as he could, including anyone who he thought was helping Carly get Nicholas away from him."

"Hey!" Will suddenly called out! "Hey, everybody, They're here!"

Glad to turn their attention to something cheering, Kate, John, Tony and Victor turned towards the now open doorway to the gantry. Dozens of passengers came through though, before the new marrieds were spotted. Will rushed to hug Sami and Lucas in welcome and made everyone laugh by insisting on lugging Sami's carryon. "Mom!" he yelped, "You can't carry things like this now. You're PG!"

"Well, I'm glad you cleared that up for anyone who wasn't sure before we left." Lucas groaned, but couldn't hide a grin that matched his son's.

"William Brady-Roberts, if you're so concerned about my health, will you slow down!" Sami laughed, her suntanned face shining as she reached to hug her first born. With the exception of Tony and Victor, the travelers were soon surrounded by their impromptu welcoming committee, and it grew again as Hope rushed in with Laura, Wendy, Benjamin, Rex and Cassie.

"Are you as concerned about this proposed trial as I am?" Tony turned to ask Victor.

"I'm concerned that the government will do their usual job of bungling the case. The Justice Department wouldn't even have a finger in this pie if the ISA hadn't opened the door for them. And from what my sources tell me, this will be anything but a sure conviction. John isn't stupid, but I think his grief has affected his ability to see things quite as clearly as you and I. And I see no honor at all to our lost loved ones in allowing their murderers to walk."

"Then we're in agreement." Tony told him. "I'm sure we can work together again, on seeing this through to a satisfactory conclusion."

"Yes. Let's work the details out after all the holiday foolishness is done. I don't want their blood on my hands if I can help it. But when it seems that Alamain will and the girl might try an insanity plea ... that's simply unacceptable to me. Now, I think we're expected to join in the welcome."

"Tony, Victor, you're looking awfully serious." Lucas said, when the two men walked up to him. "What's wrong?"

"We were just saying that we won't need to bother with holiday presents, as it looks like you've brought back half of the South Pacific!" Tony fibbed, nodding to his oldest son to indicate they could discuss other things later.

"Yeah well, I left with a bride and I came back with Sami, Warrior Shopper." Lucas quipped, earning himself a thwap with Sami's woven straw shoulder bag. "Oww!"

"Your son, Tony is neglecting to mention that half the luggage we loaded on the plane to come home had to be bought in New Zealand to carry all the Maori items he thinks are going up in our new home." Sami stated for the record.

"Some at home in the den, where the guys get to hang out." Lucas amended. "And some in my office."

"Speaking of Maori, Sami. isn't that one of their jade pendants you're wearing?" Tony asked.

" Yes, its a manaia, and its lucky I read the signs in that shop. It's bad luck to buy one for yourself, they told us. Oh Tony, Auckland is so beautiful and the beaches and the parks ... and Christchurch. .. Lake Matheson, the place is just amazing!"

"Yes, yes it is. Well, welcome home indeed. It must be quite a climate shock to leave full summer down there and come back to winter."

"Thanks. I'm really glad to be back. My husband ..." Sami grinned as she realized it was the first time she'd used the phrase today. "My husband got the idea into his head that I love hiking. So we did, a lot!"

"Sami, I was explaining to Tony and the others earlier, that I came out to give you something in addition to the wedding present I sent in absentia." Victor said, grabbing her attention. "This is the rest of it. Every single iota of it. I hope you'll simply destroy it, but I leave that up to you." And the older man handed Sami a thick manila envelope with nearly a ream of papers inside. "Consider it an early Christmas present to your new family. Tony, I'll be in touch about that other matter." Victor said and walked away before Sami could find words to say.

"Is he on the level?" Lucas asked, his dark eyes as wide as Sami's blue ones.

"As far as I can tell, very much so." Tony answered. "He ... like so many of us, has gone through a great many changes this year.

"Lucas." Sami said when she could finally shape the sounds into words. "Lucas, I want you to take this, find a security guard or someone and have them put this in their incinerator here, if they've got one." She shoved the envelope into Lucas hands so hard he almost dropped it.

"Well, sure Sami, if that's ..."

"That's what I want, for you, for our kids and yes, for me, too. An end to all this ... We said the past died, well, that's part of the skeleton and I don't want to see it, hear about it or so much as touch it ever again. Please." Sami's eyes were welling up with tears and yet she felt as if a weight equal to her son's had been lifted off her back.

"Then its gone, babe. Stay here with Tony and I'll take care of it." Lucas leaned in to kiss his bride and then carried their gift from Victor away as if it were something deadly.

"Tony," Sami said, turning back to her new father in law. "Did you, or did John get him .. get Victor to ?"

"No, Twinner." John said, walking up as if on cue. "But I'm not sure Isabella didn't have a heart to heart with her Dad. She always wants him to follow what she calls the voices of his better angels."

Sami grinned at her stepfather. "Yes, that sounds about right. John, you look tired. What's wrong? What's going on? C'mon you two, I may be sunburnt and travel weary, but I can read you like a couple of matching books. Spill."

"We were talking about the trial. Its not due to start until after the first of the year. And its likely to be a mess. My adopted brother may or may not be crazy  but he's still rich enough to try to prove that he was nuts at the time. And I don't think Rosa had far to go to begin with." John admitted.

"They can't get off!" Sami insisted. "Can they?"

"Absolutely no way." John asserted. "For one thing Alamain was just dumb enough to write Carly about his scheme. She's turned all their correspondence for the past three years over to the Feds. And Orpheus' daughter was definitely sane enough last summer to get the hell away from here after she laid the virus. So, I still like our chances."

"Well, that's good to hear. Listen, I've got to go home and pretty much collapse." Sami laughed, kissing first John and then Tony. "But I want both of you at our place for meatloaf night."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." John promised.

"Isn't that a kind of misapprehension of you Yanks on how to make pate?" Tony joked.

"Tony, before you get in big trouble with my bride." Luca said, walking up with his hands empty, until he took Sami's. "I should remind you that it was my grandmother and her father who taught Sami to cook."

"Well, that is reassuring. Call me, and I'll mark the date on my calendar. Lucas, my car's outside the terminal, take it and send it back to retrieve me. I want a word or two with my brother."

"Sure, Tony." Lucas said as Daphne's sons walked towards the airport bar.

"They're hiding something." the new marrieds said as one voice, and then turned to each other.

"How can we find out what it is?" Kate asked, taking Lucas by one arm and Sami by the other.

"Stealth, secrecy and steely determination." Sami answered.

"Works for me." her new mother in law and husband chorused.

"Then let's collect our son and get this show on the road."


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

The holiday season in Salem that year was marked by many as one of the strangest, and yet most comforting they'd known in some time. The town itself seemed likely to burst at its seams, as families felt the need more than ever to reunite for the season and the end of a brutal year. The general feeling seemed to be that many if not all of the things that had divided them in the past had lost their meaning, and the things they cherished in common had grown stronger than ever. Their holidays in both public and private celebrations seemed to echo an ancient theme of peace and the desire for renewal.

"You're lucky." Rivka Cooper was explaining to Will when his school holiday began. "You nearly missed Chanukah by staying in Los Angeles so long. And Chanukah is more for ... the younger set than Purim, even."

"She's right, Will." Benjamin Reardon Carver agreed. "My mom and me converted four years ago and when I was littler, I thought my goy ... I mean my Gentile friends had the short end of the stick. Chanukah goes on for eight days!"

"Eight days?" Will asked, wide eyed. "Kewl. And you get presents every day?"

"Usually just little ones. Otherwise Jewish parents would have to break the bank. But my mom learned how to make latkes, and kugel, and taught me the blessings for lighting the candle each night. They sit in a menorah, and you put it in your front window, so that everyone knows its the Festival of Lights. And ..."

"Benjy, you forgot the jelly donuts." Wendy laughed, walking into the Pub kitchen to collect her talkative son. "Yom tov, Rivka. Happy Holidays, Will."

"Happy Chanukah, all of you." Sami said, walking down from the loft.

"Mom, can we do Chanukah?" Will wanted to know, so eagerly it made Sami laugh.

"Chanukah is a holiday specially for Jewish people, little man. It's meant to celebrate a miracle. An oil lamp in the temple ... Am I getting this right, Rivvy?"

"Close enough. Will, when an enemy tried to destroy Jerusalem, and the temple King Solomon built there, they laid siege to the Holy City. But when the battle was at its lowest point, a group of holy men and warriors for Jerusalem went inside the temple to rededicate it to G-d. Then they were trapped there by their enemies. The miracle of Chanukah was that they only had enough oil left for their lamp to stay lit seven days.  But the lamp remained lit for eight days, by the Lord's hand. And that's what we celebrate, to this day. We feast and rejoice and give presents to mark another time when the Lord showed His favor to our people. Do you understand that?" Rivka asked.

"Yeah, some people wanted to get rid of them, or make them just like everybody else and that's not kewl. But they fought back and they made everybody there safe again." Will nodded.

"I think that's a fair way of looking at it." Rivka agreed. "Now, before I leave for Friday night service, Sami, its already snowing hard. Are you two going to sleep over? No, don't worry, shul's only half a block from here, I checked. I'm meeting my study group here to walk together. And I'll be back soon afterwards." 

Sami nodded. "I just left word with Lucas, he's staying at Kate's place. And the weather has a blizzard watch up already. Nobody who doesn't have to should be out tonight. Will, since you're on school holiday I'm not going to push about schoolwork. But I would like you to help us get ready in case some of our neighbors around here get stranded, too. Wendy, you must remember when my grandparents would open the doors to people in the neighborhood who were down on their luck. It's too cold to leave the door open, but I want to keep running after hours tonight, just in case. Nothing fancy, just chowder and hot chocolate and tea. I think if there wasn't anymore tea in the world, Salem would vanish ... like Brigadoon."

When the high winds hit that night, it seemed for a while that Sami's prediction would come true. Snow that had been on the ground for a week was being blown into drifts, and the drifts that hadn't melted yet were freezing over and becoming snow banks on both sides of the street. Inside the Pub, Sami worked as hard as any of her staffers, the only difference being that when Will frowned at her in a way that matched his father, Sami would sit for a few minutes and relax. Rivka came back early, as her rabbi was concerned that his entire congregation get home safely. And her friends came along to pitch in as an unannounced shelter came to life inside the Pub's brightly lit door. Nothing seemed to worry the owner and operator, until with the wild weather outside, she couldn't reach Lucas' cell and realized he couldn't reach hers. So Sami concentrated on keeping her customers warm and keeping Will's spirits up. Like so many Salem kids this year, any threat to his security grew to nightmare proportions if unchecked.

"Your Dad's fine, and so are Kate and Billie, Phillip, and Cassie, Meems, Belle and Rex, and probably your cousin Andrew is more verschmiltzed by this weather than any of us. He's been living in California since he was eight." Sami encouraged her son.

"Okay." Will moped. "But what if it keeps snowing for a week or somethin? All the presents Dad and I got are in the attic at our house!"

Sami shook her head and laughed. "I should've known it was the loot you were bummed about. In the attic, huh? Why didn't I think to look up there?"

"Cos you're not supposed to do a lot of climbing, Mom! You're ..."

"Will!" Sami cried, taking one of Rivka's jelly donuts and passing them to her child. "You already announced my pregnancy to the whole AP terminal, Are you going to get on the radio, next?"

"Hey, kewl!"

"No, not kewl."

"Why not? Oh, you mean because you're five weeks gone and only four weeks married?"

"I give up!" Sami declared, "Wendy, I've changed my mind, you can have this one!"

"If you don't mind, I'll wait until I can check with my s.o. on that question, But he would look cute in a velvet yarmulke. And unless SUMC was doing things very differently eleven years ago, I'd guess the other part was already taken care of, too."

Will looked even more confused as his mother collapsed in breathless laughter at this remark.

"Will, honey, Do me a big favor, please and hand your mother her tea before she chokes." Wendy asked him, grinning. "And then, see if you can't help Benjy and the others bring out more chairs. I think we're getting another batch of customers."

When Sami could breathe again she looked towards the entry and saw a bedraggled, snow dusted and windblown band, gratefully entering the Pub. When the tallest of them removed his hat and muffler, Sami recognized her stepbrother and called his name.

"Brady! What the heck are you doing out in this?"

"Caroling?" he laughed. "That was the idea when we got started, anyway. Happy Chanukah, Rivka. We're about frozen, what have you got that's hot to drink?"

"Decaf, tea, hot chocolate, spiced cider, sorry, the latte machine is down. Or there's some peach brandy if you think you really got chilled."

"Oh yumm." Chloe Wesley reacted, unwrapping her scarf and pulling off her heavy sueded mittens. ", Sami, I'm so glad you're not closed for the night. It's brutal out there."

As their companions dropped hats, gloves, scarves and coats the rest of the motley crew of would be carolers was revealed, one by one. These were Hope, Shawn, and Stephany who'd come east for the season with Andrew, Andrew Donovan, Cassie, Billie, Mike, Belle, Phillip and most surprisingly, Rex.

"But I see no Meems." Sami noted. "What's up with that?"

"Her mom said she was terrified by the weather reports and wouldn't let Meems take one step out of doors tonight." Cassie explained. "Turns out, Momma Lockhart was right!"

They were still laughing about that truth, when the door slammed open and shut again, admitting a shivering, snow covered Lucas Roberts.

"Sami, it's nearly freaking midnight! Why are you still here?"

"Lucas, Its only ten o'clock, and theres a blizzard going outside, if you didn't notice. I called you hours ago. Why aren't you still at Kate's? And don't try to sell me that she ran out of brandy. Because you don't look anything like a St. Bernard, more like a chocolate lab, to me." Sami laughed.

"Arf! Arf" Lucas obligingly replied, then continued to garner laughs from his relatively small audience by rushing up to Sami and trying to lick her face. "yumm, jelly donuts!" he cracked.

"Say the secret word, get a donut!" Sami responded, fitting one neatly halfway inside his open mouth.

"Oh gosh!" Will mourned. "They're gonna start that stuff again!"

"Don't complain, little man, " Sami laughed when she'd managed to chew and swallow the half a donut Lucas fed her in return. " 'That stuff' is how you and your siblings got here."

"And come July, Those cute little siblings will be here." Lucas smiled, holding his arms as if cradling an infant in each."

"Yes and that will be an end to sleeping all night for the next hundred years." Sami pretended to mourn.

Lucas smirked and winked at his bride in a way she usually found irresistible. But tonight she only found it irresistibly funny. "I know what you're thinking, Lucas Brady-Roberts and I am not spending the next half of my life barefoot and ..."

"Sami, Sami, Sami. I think you know me better than that. In our family, no matter how big or how small, there won't be any baby making that we both don't agree on. Right? That's right, you tell her guys." Lucas had begun patting Sami's stomach which had barely grown, as if she was far enough along for them to feel the twins kick.

"You are a  genuinely twisted, demented person." Sami laughed.

"And that's what you love about me, right? Speaking of making babies, where's our first born?"

"Over there, Shining up to Andrew and Phillip. I think you've dropped to third place again, Pop."

"Fourth place." Billie giggled, walking over to them. "Will just remembered that he used to think my guy was the neatest thing since peanut butter and sliced bread. Whew! I'm glad you didn't lock up too, Sami. We were approaching frostbite level out there."

"Good thing you're close friends with a doctor, huh?" Lucas gibed.

"No," Billie said, grinning as she pulled off her left glove. "Good thing I'm engaged to a doctor. huh?"  Gleaming on her left ring finger was an intricate gold band set with a fiery Ceylon sapphire. It's facets caught and threw back every available bit of light like a living bonfire. "Crazy, huh?"

"Crazy." Sami agreed, admiring the stone's brilliance. "But in a good way. That's majorly kewl, as Will likes to say."

"Yeah, I think so. I mean look at us, Look at all of us. Who'd have thought a year, even six months ago, especially five months ago, that things would turn around so fine?" Billie asked. " I mean. I miss Austin like crazy. We raised each other from pups. And everyone was knocked down ... so hard I wasn't sure we'd ever stand up again. But we are."

"We definitely are." Mike agreed, coming over to greet them, and pull Billie into his arms. "Emphasis on the we."

"And on that note, I propose a toast." Lucas called out, garnering the attention of everyone in the Pub. Lifting his cup of hot cider he grinned at the assemblage and went on. "To the engagement of my sister Billie Reed and my once and future brother, Mike Horton! And to the love of my life, Sami Brady-Roberts, and to our kids and our kin and all our friends who gave us the love and the strength to turn our lives around. What was that, Rivka? Oh no, I remember: Mazeltov!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12 :)**

Valentines Day, 2005

Lucas had insisted that it was good exercise, and that besides he wanted to show her off, so Sami agreed to a dance in the ballroom recently opened in the BBI tower. He was wearing a midnight blue suit and tie, with a grey blue silk shirt, and Sami had found an off shoulder dress and stole that shimmered with the same color. She was less than four full months pregnant and carrying twins made Sami feel like she was carrying a library of Congress sized globe around, most days. But she loved being in her gorgeous guy's arms more than ever, even though she kidded him that pretty soon he'd need extensions. or a forklift.

"Naw, if I run into that problem, I'll just ... do some more weight training. You liked the results, pretty much last time."

"Pretty much." she agreed, grinning. "Of course I did. And I do. Cause this time I've got the beau of the ball in my arms. There isn't a woman in Salem tonight who doesn't envy me right now, and I'm loving it."

"Well, I always have been a prize stud." Lucas joked back. "Hey, maybe we should rent me out ... like a real thorougbred."

Sami rolled her eyes and giggled. "That's all we need, dozens of half sisters and brothers for Will! Lucas! He's going to have to move to Istanbul as it is to find someone he's not related to!"

"Jeesh, don't give the kid any ideas!" Lucas exclaimed in mock alarm.

"Yes, General."

"Okay, now I know I'm in trouble." he groaned.

"Not until we get home, General." Sami laughed, "Then you'll have the kind of trouble you like best."

"Sami, do you seriously think I'd ravish a definitely pregnant and very married woman?"

"Only the one you're married to, But I'm sorry, Lucas, I have to ... excuse myself, and would you please get me another glass of tomato juice, I'm thirsty again."

Sami made her way across the floor, and sighed, She hadn't forgotten this part of being pregnant, she just had pushed it to the back of her mind. And despite all of Dr Bader's assurances, every nuance and twinge this time worried Sami. She had to smile though, noting that at least a quarter of the women here tonight were expecting as well. Salem was coming back to life again and this was just another sign. Everyone in the room was far more relaxed tonight, she thought, then they had been in the past few weeks. The conclusion of a Federal trial held in Chicago had come through and it almost seemed as if the town itself heaved a sigh of relief.

Rosa Adrianna Lenouri and Lawrence James Alamain were convicted of conspiring and committing multiple murders, attempted murders and a long list of other charges. They were sentenced to life without parole, just as the first month of a new year ended. And they were sent to Federal lockups thousands of miles away from Salem. The long nightmare was over.

Sami returned to find Lucas had lined up not just one but three more glasses of tomato juice around her plate, which he had filled with his, and Will's eclectic idea of a salad, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, romaine lettuce, pickled beets, and avocado. Strategically placed in separate containers next to this concoction were containers of ripe olives, mozzarella, and Russian dressing.

"Lucas!" Sami laughed as she sat down, "This is big enough for the five of us!"

"And very heart-healthy too, Put the cheese on top for protein and you're good to go." her husband grinned, his eyes glinting with laughter.

"Well, I am eating for three of the five of us." she shrugged and began to dig in. "But I'm really craving egg foo yung, satay, sticky rice and spring rolls."

"We'll get to that, I'm sure." Lucas agreed, But then he was distracted as Tony walked over with Anna on one arm and Liz on the other. "Gee, I guess some guys have all the luck!" Lucas shook his head,

"Nonsense." Tony replied, "My dear friends insisted I bring them over immediately to ask after your bride. How are you getting along with this sorry excuse for a husband, Sami?"

"He'll do." Sami laughed, picking up an old joke between them, "Until you're free again. But I don't see that happening with three women already chasing you, "

Tony put one hand thoughtfully to his face as if bewildered by her words, then grinned. "I suppose I'm just a ... what is it Cassie insists on saying ... a magnet?"

As if on cue, Carrie, Billie, Maggie, Laura.  and Kate rushed up to welcome the Count, who'd by habit come to the ball fashionably late. Scott, Mike, Mickey, Tommy and John followed them at a less hectic pace.

"Trying to beat my time with Katherine, brother?" Tony jibed.

"I might," John broke into a grin. "Except IzzyB'd have my guts for garters. You're late, Any news?"

Sami's ears almost physically perked up at the tone of her stepfather's voice. He and Tony didn't get along any more perfectly than she and Carrie, but they seemed in the past few months to have developed a kind of private code. And all she knew for sure when they used it in front of others, was that something was definately up. Glancing at Kate and then Lucas, she saw that her coconspirators had picked up the same clue.

"It's Valentines Day night." Kate protested, greeting Tony in her own way. "What news could there be?"

"None that I know of." Tony answered, with a shuttered expression that to the practiced eye said just the opposite.

"John, I'm crushed." Sami declared, with a wink at the others. "You've been here all night and not once asked me to dance."

"Now that, Isabella will never object to." John smiled, and held out his hand to his stepdaughter. "You look so much like Doc tonight." he said quietly when they'd begun to dance "It's almost scarey."

"I always wanted to, thanks. But after these two soccer players come into the world, I'll never be the same."

"No, you'll be three times as happy as you are tonight. Trust me on that one, Twinner."

"John, I do trust you. That's what makes this so hard. I think you're not telling us something. And I think you and Tony and Victor of all people are together on whatever it is. And I think I have, we have a right to know."

"That's very straightforward." John said, obviously fighting to keep a straight face.

"I tried stealth. I gave it up for Lent." Sami joked. "So?"

"Samantha Gene, that curiosity of yours ... is another thing you have in common with Marlena, and Tinker Belle. And its really not a good idea .."

"Lucas," Tony was saying at the same moment, as his son and his past and present lovers, friends and his stepdaughter surrounded him. "Not only is this completely against Marquis of Queensbury rules, but I don't think it a very good idea ..."

"Isabella, I have no intention of informing, much less involving you in my business discussions with your husband, his brother or anyone." Victor protested as she cornered him across the room.

"And I have no intention of seeing blood on the hands of my father, my husband or my brother in law ever again." Isabella exclaimed, placing one hand firmly on each hip. "Neither does my son, or his fiancée." she added, as Chloe and Brady joined her. "Come on, we're joining the others."

"John," Sami went on, unhindered. "You forgot to mention my grandmother, my other two half sisters, or any of my aunts in that list. And I'm as stubborn as everyone of them."

"Tony, love, you're outnumbered here seven to one, and that wasn't counting Lucas." Kate advised him. "I suggest an honorable surrender. Now."

Within minutes the three men were cut off and sullenly considering their diminishing alternatives.

"This is not the time or place." John tried again, then fell quiet.

"There really isn't anything to tell..." Tony offered, but then shrugged and sighed.

"You are everyone of you making mountains out of molehills." Victor added.

"Then I suggest you explain to us the nature of those molehills, Dad." Phillip demanded, joining the growing crowd with Cassie, Andrew, and Belle, Stephany and Shawn in tow. "They attacked our families. Tell us what's going on."

"The lawyers Alamain hired are still working on their complaint that non US citizens were tried and convicted under US laws, in US Federal court." John answered.

"They don't have a legal leg to stand on. But they've plenty of assets to keep trying." Tony added.

"And we have the resources to make sure they fail in every attempt." Victor put it, bluntly.

"And just what is it you plan to do if your legal resources fail?" Lucas asked Tony, putting into words what he and Sami and Kate, and all the others feared.

"Stop them." came the answer from all three.

"How?" Sami asked, her throat almost closing with fear.

John turned to her with his eyes full of the compassion she remembered so well from her childhood. "By any means possible." he said, finally.

"You're going to set a trap for them." Brady told his father, without a hint of a question.

"It worked twice so far. And as they say," Tony answered. "Third times the charm."

"Fine," Kate interjected. "But as before, we work this together,"

"Or not at all." Lucas added.

"No!" Victor argued. "Haven't we lost too many that we loved already?"

"That's exactly the point." Sami answered him, head up and eye to eye with her old enemy. "We don't intend to lose anymore. Not even three headstrong old fools.:"


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13**

No one in Salem that year forgot the early thaw that began as February slid into March. To many, it seemed a sign of promise, lightening hearts and melting sorrows. To a small, determined group of Salemites, though, it signaled the time to put their own promises to each other into action.

And despite the protests of every man involved, it was the women who demanded the right to share their risks, and initiate their plan. This was simply too important, and too intricate to leave anything to chance, And in fact, it was these same talented, stubborn women whose eye for detail for found the perfect way to set their scheme in motion.

"The appeal is being held in the same Federal court in Chicago where the trial took place." Maggie told them,

"That means, unless they really are ... incompetent, both Alamain and Lenouri know that building inside and out." Liz added,

"And they know their appeal is more than likely to fail, right?" Sami asked.

"That's why they're very probably going to make a break as soon as they arrive." Carrie added in a flat, angry tone.

"Thinking they'll catch everyone off guard." Chloe agreed.

"So, this is what we do." Kate said, gesturing them to come close. "We take BBI Design to the Chicago Trade Mart and give our competitors and our enemies a run for their money. It's the perfect cover and just happens to be across the street from the Federal building. Agreed?"

"Agreed." they chorused, and then laughed as their men, convening their own meeting across the room turned to stare.

Lucas was the first one to walk over and he wasn't shy about confronting his mother, wife, and relatives in the least. "What exactly do you ladies find amusing about this? I'd really like to know."

"And so would I." Brady, said, following him, as did Mickey, Tony, and Scott, John and Victor.

"Don't feel bad, fellows." Anna laughed, joining them. "You can't help it if you're always going to be one step behind the women in your lives. Victor, darling, if you don't loosen that tie, I'm going to do it myself, you're turning red from the neck up and that's not a good sign."

"Stop fussing, woman." Victor complained, even as he worked at the annoying item. But there was a twinkle in his deep-set eyes that hadn't been there in years.

It clearly amused the corporate leader of Salem to be flattered and escorted by Tony's gorgeous ex. And even Isabella, who had never seen her father chasing a woman, and Tony, who in his own way still adored Anna and Liz, were seen to smile at this recent development.

"That leaves Lucas' question unanswered." John noted, "What's going on, Kate? You were one of the most adamant that we work together on this."

"I was and I am. And the fact is, as fine as your part of the plan is, John, it was sadly lacking a vital element."

"What?" the male contingent demanded.

"A diversion." Carrie told them. "Scott, you used to play with magic kits when we were kids. It's really pretty simple, its called misdirection."

"Exactly." Maggie agreed. "You set the trap, guys and we misdirect our quarry right into it."

"Easy as pie." Sami added.

"No, no way." Lucas groaned. "I tried making you a cherry pie the other day and no matter how much Rivvy told me, it still came out more like cherry flambé. Whoever coined the phrase 'easy as pie' clearly didn't know what they were talking about."

"And that's without even mentioning the pecan sauce we ended up with when he wanted to make pecan pie." Sami giggled, and then tried to kiss her husband to make up for tattling.

" Hey! It was great on ice cream, especially great on butter pecan!" Lucas declared.

"It was scrumptious, baby, just like you." Sami laughed, and pulled him into her arms. Not very surprisingly, her husband ceased all resistance at that point kissing Sami until Billie and Mike walked up, yelling.

"Would you two just get a room, please?"

"Very well, now that we have what I believe is called a quorum." Tony began, when the general laughter faded. "Let's continue. Elizabeth, I believe you had the floor, next."

"Thank you, Antony." Liz grinned at him, thinking her friend and ex husband had changed in many ways, but would never lose his charm. "This is really Kate's plan, with some additions and subtractions from the rest of us. We're taking BBI Design's new season lines to the Chicago Trade Mart, spring and early summer styles mostly, just in time for Easter and spring break. We've already made the preliminary arrangements, and the first releases have gone out to the fashion media. BellCass and our newer lines will be showcased, proceeds to the Horton Foundation, as always. It's basically going to be part of a huge fashion show that goes on there twice, three times a year for days on end. There's security, of course, but not really very much. Not usually. After all, once the clothes are on the runways, what is there to secure?"

"But this year," Kate said in a brook-no-arguments tone, "That will be different. Its a very simple matter, guys. You hold the door while we strut our stuff. And if this many of us so conveniently in one place doesn't bait the trap, I don't know what will."

"I hate to say this." John spoke up, shaking his head. "But I think I like this idea. But who's modeling?"

"We are." the women answered, laughing.

"And I am." Carly Manning added, walking up to greet her friends.

"And so am I." Nicholas added. "And so are Phillip, Andrew, Mike, and Shawn.

That's all, so far. What about the rest of you fellows?"

"Well, some of us will be holding the door, " Mickey answered. " But I'll be happy to contribute my time. I was considered quite the playboy back in the day."

"Yes, you were." Maggie laughed, as Laura joined her agreeing completely.

"I will be content to provide any added security system." Victor commented dryly. "And of course, a generous donation."

"I'll defer the public face of the operation to my brother." Tony laughed. "I was invited to try my luck at modeling in my younger days, It was great fun and even better, it greatly embarassed and annoyed my late father."

"Well, I don't mind having you all to myself, gorgeous." Kate taunted him. "But this gig, as Liz pointed out, is for charity,"

"So," Lucas said, turning to his bride of five months. "How come you haven't asked me to take on this gig?"

"Egotist." Sami laughed. "Because I do want you all to myself."

"Oh, good answer. How's the soccer match going in there?" he smirked, patting her rounding stomach.

"They seem to be pretty evenly matched so far. Another month and a half and they'll be kicking you out of bed. Or I will. Lucas, do you realize that if I **am** going to model now, it would be in maternity clothes. Thanks to you?"

"No, the way I recall it that was definitely a joint effort. And you're already outshining every other woman here."

"Another good answer." Sami smiled and rewarded him with a warm kiss.

They were meeting in the den of John and Isabella's newly completed home, and adjourned for the six course meal she called a simple luncheon. This consisted of bruschetta, linguini, marinara and pesto, penne, and rigatoni, with a colorful Greek salad and Italian sodas or cappachino for dessert. It had become a habit of these survivors to get together for any serious or frivolous occasion. And just now they were focused on their need to put the past year's fears behind them once and for all.

"I think there's one item we have yet to address." Todd Curtis said when he came in late. "While most of us are in Chicago, and G-d willing, putting an end to this, who's got the childcare duty?"

"We do." Carrie, Scott and Tommy Horton replied and the elderly doctor continued. "We realized that between the three of us we've already babysat for more than half the people in this room! And it turns out, Scott's dad, David is the one who bought the Brady house a couple months ago. It's been thoroughly checked and its clean as a whistle, now.

So we're expanding the facilities of Horton House across the way. We've already received several immensely generous donations, and the paperwork for the grants we'll need is on Mickey's desk. The fence between the back yards came down yesterday. in fact. It only seems right. Our two families have been linked by love and hope for years. This is just another outward sign of that bond's growth and strength. Just like this sign, growing right here." Tommy said and laid his hand gently over Sami's diminishing lap.

Sami looked up and around the room as what the older Dr Horton sank in. She wasn't at all surprised to see John, Victor, Liz, Tony, Anna and Kate painting carefully innocent expressions on their faces. Then she turned to Carrie, saying: "Mom would just love this, wouldn't she?"

Carrie's worried look vanished and she nodded. "Dad would too. That's what I thought when I decided to help run the new place. Tommy will of course make sure everyone's healthy, And Scott will act as David's ... well, I don't know, Scotty, What are you going to be doing with us?"

"Keeping you out of trouble, Ms Brady. Someone has to keep you from giving away the store."

Scott laughed, and gently kissed Carrie, making her blush and giggle.

This brought Lucas back to sit next to Sami and whisper. "Another Horton/Brady match?"

"Yupp. All wrapped up, neat and tidy." She grinned. "Haven't you been paying attention? Scott was a goner on our wedding day."

"We almost all were." he reminded her. "Sami, wait, who elected you ... what does Rivka call it, the local yenta?"

"Your grandmother and mine. Someone has to keep up the tradition, after all." Sami told him nonchalantly.

"And so, what other targets, oops I meant, lucky couples do you have in your sights?"

"Well, some are a lot easier than others because before I got on the job, they were already leaning that way. And others obviously had the hand of G-d already in their favor so there was really nothing I had to do. But there are some really hard types around this town and I'm having to almost break a sweat on those cases."

"Well, at least we're safely off the list." Lucas sighed. "So, who's on it?"

"Group A is definitely Mike and Billie, Chloe and Brady, Meems and Rex, Laura and Tommy, Cassie and your baby brother.  And maybe a few others. Group B right now is only Isabella and John, Mickey and Maggie, Jamie and her Sean, Wendy and Jonah. Group C are the more complicated and even obstinate ones, I was sure I could drop Victor and Anna, Belle and Andrew, Stephany and Benjy into Group A, but they're being difficult lately. So they're C's, along with Kate and Tony, and until today, I thought, Scott and Carrie. But then there's a small, sub-group, that has Liz, Hope and Shawn, and the only thing I can figure is that they just aren't ready to take the leap."  

"So, your plan is to give them a good push?"

"Nope. Never works. You should know that by now, Lucas."

"I dunno, It worked out all right with us."

"You're wrong. We're the exception that proves the rule. We were absolutely in Group B before anyone could do anything about it. But we were pretending to be in Group C for so long that it almost wrecked everything. Now we're fine." Sami explained carefully, with a definite twinkle in her eyes.

"I'm glad to hear that. Of course I guess if I was gonna get mushy, I'd say that makes us soul mates, right?"

"I like the quote Rivka gave me a lot better.  'I have found who my soul loves.'  It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Just beautiful." Lucas agreed, and gently pulled Sami into his arms again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 14**

The week before Easter, 2005

Just one of the dozens of shows going on at the Trade Mart this week had gotten a major part of the 'ink' as it was among the newest design lines being presented. Under BBI's logo, BellCass, B-R and CW designs were the those getting the most attention. And the teams involved in all three were glowing after the reviews came in.

"We're a hit!" was the cry backstage and despite the chaos of the event, everyone agreed this had to be a good omen. The audiences even seemed to like the fact that BBI's fresh faces were volunteers from the company itself, giving their time and talent for a regional charity. Sami saw reinvented copies of the suits Billie, Belle and Cassie wore in her wedding party being applauded and cheered, and ordered. Then she watched as Billie's more daring CW club looks for both genders were introduced, and raved about. Then the children's line she had driven her husband and son wild working on came out under their initials, and was just as well received.

"Kids need good, sturdy, comfortable clothes, Sami." Lucas claimed when he found her sketching into the wee hours. "And every kid I've ever known hates to dress up. It makes Will crazy, that's for sure."

"Will's eleven, Lucas. He'd rather die than put on something besides jeans and Ts." Sami answered without looking up.

"My point exactly. Here." Lucas added as he brought her some mint tea. "If you know that, what make you think parents will buy clothes their kids don't want to wear?"

"Because its in that parent's rulebook you're always quoting to Will. On any and all special occasions, it is the parent's duty to torment their child with clothes that bind, choke and otherwise impede their natural movements. That's mostly the rule for babies, toddlers and boys. Girls love dress-up. But since you didn't know your sisters until you were all grown, you won't know that, yet." Sami laughed.

"So, you're saying what ... I'm lacking in parental skills, now?"

"Touchy, touchy, who's pregnant here, anyway?"

"We are."

"Okay, no, little poppa," Sami teased him, "You are a terrific father. You are only lacking the experience that no conferences with John, or Tommy or any other father of a daughter can give. It's strictly going to be OJT. Luckily, you have me, who helped raise Belle, and Carrie, who helped to raise me. So relax, go to bed, please and let me finish this sketch."

"Okay, I'll be in there, sleeping for two then, I guess."

Sami turned to him with the wicked grin that he could never resist. "Want me to ..umm ... wake you up when I come to bed, ... General?"

"Promises, promises." Lucas muttered, kissed Sami's forehead and left her to her work.

When she was satisfied with the final sketch, Sami looked at the clock on her desktop and smiled. It had taken less than an hour and that gave her time for the shower and change of clothes she craved. Her long sleeved turtleneck and jeans were covered with chalk, pastels and dust from her drawing board, and her fingers and legs were cramped. Happily refreshed a few minutes later she slipped into a satin chemise that was one of Belle's designs, and slid under the sheets beside Lucas.

But she had no plans to fall asleep right away. And months of practice and experimenting had shown Sami just how to keep her guy as happy as she was herself. The process was silent and sweet, as they were far past the need for words. Sami made good on her offer to wake Lucas in the best possible way. And they pressed close together as night gave up its post to dawn.

"Now this is the kind of family tradition I could seriously get behind." Lucas murmured as they lay together as close as a pair of spoons on a buffet.

"You did." Sami giggled. "And thank god Will's room is down the hall, now. you might have scared the heck out of your only son."

"My only son so far." Lucas amended, out of long habit. "Sami, c'mon, we asked Dr. Bader not to let us know the babies gender. So how are you so sure that we're getting twin girls, instead of one each, or twin boys?"

"Because the odds, genetically are that because my mother was an identical twin, and Eric and I and Cassie and Rex weren't, our twins will be ... identical. And hello, do I have to explain again that my mom's side of the family ran to girls?"

"But your dad's side of your family and my mom's side of my family ran to boys, in fact, so did my dad's side. So the odds are 3 to 1 that you're carrying twin boys."

"If they look like you and Eric, then I like my chances. But Lucas, whatever these kids turn out to be, we've got to call them something besides Fric and Frac."

"Ya think?" he quipped. "Any new thoughts on that?"

"None, That's why I'm asking you."

"Okay, I'll do my list thing for you and our ... offspring. Boys names:

Roman, John, David, Doug, Eric, Shawn, Michael, Steven, Anthony, Shane, Andrew, Phillip, Austin, Nicholas, Bo, Neil, Jack, Tom, Luke or Sam? Your turn."

Sami sighed. "Girls names: Katherine, Carly, Marlena, Lena, Kim, Kayla, Adrienne, Elisabeth, Anna, Billie Caroline, Alice, Renee, Laura, Jennifer, Rebecca, Vivian? Well, that exhausts the family, pretty much, Next batch Boys: James, Gene, Justin, Jeff, Frank, Timothy... I like Timothy, do you?"

"Yeah, Tim Rob... Tim Brady-Roberts, great, that's one down." Lucas said," And I like Sam, too. What do you think?"

"Just a little." Sami laughed, turning to see what was going on in Lucas's dark eyes

. "Okay, Tim, Sam we're set for the boys, and I'm kind of leaning towards Rebecca, but I dunno, Rebecca Brady-Roberts, too much, you think?"

"Yeah .. a few too many Rs there."

" Lucas, I think we should get some points in where we might need them down the road here Im going back to thinking maybe Elizabeth. We could call her Beth, or Bess, or Lisabeth... It's pretty don't you think?"

"Nearly as pretty as her mom." Lucas murmured, "But don't throw something at me, okay, I'm thinking we could name her Erica or Antonia. Even your grandfather Brady might like that."

"Erica's got the whole R problem again. I think John and his brother would both love to fuss over a little girl named Antonia Brady-Roberts, though. Good, that's done." Sami said, and almost immediately, fell asleep soundly as a child in Lucas' arms.

They stayed arm in arm as much as possible as the multi layered plan went into action. No one had the least doubt that they were risking their lives to stop their enemies once and for all. No one doubted either that the predators would still see them as prey. But the idea was to ensure their confidence to the point that the murderers strode directly into the survivor's trap. And this was how it began. Mickey, Shawn, Maggie and a few others began the process of moving to deny Alamain and Lenouri's appeal. After them, the court heard from at least one family member of every victim of the virus. Added to that was the repetition of trial evidence, given again by Shane Donovan, Hope Brady and other ISA and Federal operatives involved. And the most telling testimony of all seemed to the observers to be that of young and elderly survivors, whose health was still severely damaged by the disease' aftereffects.

 Across the street, as far as anyone from the outside could see, nothing was going on but BBI Design's first regional showing. Placards and banners were everywhere with the combined logos of BBI, Titan, AD Enterprises and the Horton House Foundation. "Keep building the House" was the slogan finally chosen, with a stencil-style pictogram of the place that all their efforts sprang from. Salem wasn't just alive again, they wanted everyone to know, it was growing, thriving and had a lot yet to give. Carrie and Scott had written copy for all the media releases, and were still doing so, faxing more each day from Salem. Tommy, Mike and Laura, along with Craig Wesley and officers of the CDC gave full reports to warn the Chicago area health officials. They had no intention of taking the chance that no more of the deadly virus existed within the reach of their enemies.

A wildly received band played during the show and rocked the audience, as the next line was getting ready to walk out. Sami stomped, and whistled and catcalled along with Chloe, Cassie, and others as Phillip, Brady and Lucas played to the chanting, cheering crowd. But Sami left it to her younger and currently spryer friends to join in their finale, dancing and beating out any blues in sight.

"That's your dad, kids." she bent over to tell her twins. "Yeah, that guy with the muscle shirt and the camo bandana and the rocking set of drums. Don't worry, he's a lot quieter around the house, usually."

A chill ran through Sami just then, Every sense alert, she looked around and saw that the stage manager was cueing Lucas and co. that their set was over. She saw Lucas get up and start bounding down the catwalk towards her, grinning all over his face, and wiping away the sweat from the blazing klieg lights. Sami froze, feeling as if a waking nightmare was trying to stop her vision, her heart and her voice all at once. She couldn't raise the breath or the sound to scream, until she saw a tall, wild eyed, raging figure of a man rush at her lover, her friend and the father of her children.

"Lucas!" Sami screamed, with every breath in her body and nearly collapsed before Lucas jumped down and took her into his arms.

"Sami, what?" he demanded, and she looked up, over his shoulder, only to find noone except the crew glancing at her with equal concern.

Breathing hard, she finally managed to answer. "Lucas I saw him! I saw Lawrence coming at you, He was ... He was going to ..."

"Sami, I'm okay, I'm fine. You're wound up tighter than my bass drum, though. C'mon, Let's go sit over here, Mike will look you over and then we'll call Will. That always helps. Right? And while I'm dialing over there, you're going to want to take some of those good deep breaths, cos Will doesn't need to hear you gasping for air, Okay, Sami?"

Following his advice literally, Sami nodded while reaching for the Lamaze practice she'd all but memorized.

"Hey, Mom!" Will said and Sami felt her heart start beating again.

"Hey, kiddo. I'm missing you, about a gzillion gscrillion, you know?"

"When's the dumb show over?"

"Tomorrow night, little man. And we'll be home again before morning, Promise."

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah, Will?"

"You guys were all over the news here. Scott wanted to buy Carrie a ta-tankini, yeah that was it."

"Another guy crazy for my sister." Sami muttered, clinging to Lucas' arm.

"What, Mom?"

"Nothing. Listen to me, Will, Try not to drive everybody there crazy, okay?"

"Yeah, Mom. Are the twins giving you a hard time?"

"A little bit, But after they start walking it'll be your turn." Sami managed to laugh.

"Yeah, I know. Carrie already explained to me about oldest kids being builtin babysitters. I've been practicing all week. Uncle Tommy says, stop worrying, enjoy your clothes stuff and come home safely."

"Okay. Night ba... little man."

"Night, Mom"

"Night, Will" Lucas added, and closed the connection.

By this time a phalanx of doctors were surrounding Sami, Mike, Laura, and Jonah, among others.

"I didn't pass out." she explained again. "I just ... lost it for a minute. It was like dreaming except I didn't fall asleep. Did I?"

"With my band playing, no way." Lucas winked at her.

"Your blood pressure is higher than I'd like." Mike Horton said.

"Michael William Horton I am not going to sit in a hotel all day tomorrow while this whole thing goes down." Sami informed her brother in law.

"Well, then, since you're just as amenable to treatment and medical advice as every other Brady I've ever known, let's just find a way for you to relax this evening and maybe, just maybe I won't order you home to Salem. For three months bedrest."

"Oh c'mon!" Sami protested.

"Sami, I'm absolutely serious here. You know enough to know that children in multiple births are more vulnerable. So be sensible on your own, or I won't give you that option. Clear.?"

"Crystal, Mike, thanks." Lucas answered, never moving from Sami's side. "C'mon, little momma. We're doing the room service thing tonight."

"Yeah."

"And then I'm going to give the mother of my children a nice warm bath, and tuck her into bed before curfew."

"Only if you tuck in next to her." Sami retorted, with a wan grin.

"You got it. Sami, you know I don't doubt what you said for a minute. We're all waiting for the other shoe to drop here. If it wasn't getting on your nerves and filling your imagination there'd be something really wrong. But we're right on track. Nobody's gonna slip up this time, except the real bad guys. I mean it, Sami, they're toast."

"That's funny, coming from you."

"Yeah, yeah I know. But it will all come down just the way we want it to, this time. You've got my word on that. And I think I'm scoring pretty high on the keeping promises scale these days."

"You are. Honestly. But Lucas, you've got to know something, If that arrogant son of a  If Alamain comes at you, he's gonna go down hard, if I have to do it myself."

"That's my MomTiger." Lucas encouraged her. By now they had walked to the elevator, leading to the hotel on one side of the Mart. "I'm counting on that. And the same goes for me, Sami. I won't let them touch a hair on your head, or even come within arm's length."

"No, Lucas." Sami stopped and shook her head, just as they reached their hotel room. "He may not be crazy but he's too dangerous. And g-d knows what that freak Rosa will pull."

"That's exactly why we're going to stop them in their tracks, It's practically a done deal."

"Promise?" Sami turned to him, knowing she sounded more like a little girl than the pregnant mother of three. She was frantically reading Lucas' face for any sign of uncertainty. There was none.

"Promise."

"And you love me?" she demanded.

"Like crazy, Why?"

"Because I want a deep dish sausage and ripe olive pizza with extra cheese, and a little green pepper, so bad I could just about scream." Sami cried, and then laughed at herself with Lucas

"No anchovies?"

"No. No, just this once. I don't want to drive you to sleep in the tub."

"Better you than me, kiddo, We would need that forklift to get you out again."

"Pizza!"

"Yes m'am!" Lucas laughed and rushed to find the phonebook in the nightstand, under the Gideon's.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 15**

The next afternoon

"All right, people, listen up." John was taking the lead in their last discussion before the final night of the show. "They came at us separately last fall. And Shane, Tony, Ops and I are sold on Victor's idea that they won't try that again. So we're waiting to be double-teamed by Alamain and his ... girlfriend. And that's just fine, because they don't know that they're going to be triple teamed by all of us, the Feds and ISA. In other words, we're even more ready for them now then we were in November, so as far as I can see, they don't stand a chance. Kate, I think you were next in this rotation. Go ahead."

"Everyone, there has been one and only one change in the show tonight. But it's going to effect everyone on and off the catwalk. There are going to be security people walking along with every one on that walk, and at least one with every two people backstage." Kate told them

"And if any of those people who are only here for our protection, give you the word to take cover, that's exactly what you are going to do. The idea tonight is to keep everyone alive and in one piece each. Besides, there wasn't enough time for our seamstresses to make color coordinated flack jackets for all of us."

"But Mom," Phillip joked, "If you'd let me know ahead of time, I could have picked up all we wanted, with armor plating, on base, in three hot colors, khaki, black and camo."

"Darn, I knew the Marines would have been good for something." Shawn laughed; seeming far more relaxed with his longtime friend than he had in months.

"I'm glad to find you all in such high spirits." Victor said, arriving with his usual dry wit. "But what happens tonight will not be a laughing matter, at least not until we all have the last laugh on those who thought they could take us down. They tried, twice so far, they wounded us to be sure. But their plan as a whole failed and it will fail again tonight for the last time. That's all I wanted to say."

"Victor, wait." Hope called out, walking from her constant place at Shawn's side these days. "There's something I want to say, to you, in front of witnesses, so I can't deny it later."

"And what would that be?" the older man asked, with a wariness that surprised no one.

"Thanks."

"I'm sure I don't understand."

"No, I was the one who didn't understand. I admit it, I had you down in my book as only a little less cold hearted than Stefano. But that was before I went home again last week for a few days, and took the time to ...to visit those of my family who aren't with us any longer. You see, I hadn't been able to make myself go back in so long. I didn't know what you ... I saw the memorial you had made for them, and then I took Shawn and Zach to see it with me. It's beautiful and so ... incredibly perfect,  Victor, I've spent years thinking you didn't love or even care about  your son, your oldest son, the one you had so few years with. And I just wanted to make sure that you and everyone knows, that I was very, very wrong. I'd like to apologize, if you'll let me. I'd like my sons to get to know their other grandfather."

Now Victor Kiriakis looked as startled as anyone who knew him had ever seen, excepting only when he learned he had a grown son and daughter he'd never met. That grown daughter walked up beside him now, and offered her hand to her sister in law, with tears welling up in her violet grey eyes to match those in Hope's wide dark ones. The two women shook hands and hugged and walked away, arm in arm with the still silent older man.

Tony shook his head wonderingly at the trio and nodded to everyone, "Well, that is what I believe they call a tough act to follow." he quipped. "Still, its good to see some healing begin even before our work is finished here tonight. Victor and I have a reputation for ruthlessness in common, and deservedly so. But I assure you, that in the past few months I have learned a great deal and lost a great deal and gained ... as have we all. So I am here today to show that ruthlessness only to those who still seek to destroy us. I shan't allow that, and I daresay neither will any of you. Now, some of you may still be thinking that a tiger as long in the tooth as I am cannot change his spots, anymore than a Dimera can change his name." Tony grinned.

 "And there have been times in my life when I would have agreed with that assessment. Now, I do not. And yet now, I understand someone I have hated as much as all of you, most of my adult life, at least to the extent that I feel the same drive to cherish my dear ones and keep them safe, against all odds and all comers. That's my understanding of the aftereffects of parenthood, and its something that many of you understand just as deeply as I. Or you wouldn't be here. So let's finish this matter and get ourselves and our children back to what truly matters, shall we?"

A quiet affirmative answered him from every throat, and he smiled again. Then he clapped Lucas and Rex on their shoulders and hugged Cassie close to his heart, and led all three of them off to talk quietly in private. Sami was waiting for them, on a chaise with a stand alongside, allowing her a clear sightline to the stage, and the rest Mike Horton insisted on.

"You're looking quite a bit better, today, Samantha." Tony said.

"Thanks, I feel like an invalid. Is it really going to work?" she demanded.

"As far as anyone can predict. Yes. My brother, I think is correct in saying they won't believe we're ready and waiting for them, this time. And you can believe me, my dears, that I will have no more compunction in taking these two murderers out than I did with the maniac who started this whole debacle."

"Just try not to let them return the favor, Dad." Rex asked, with Cassie nodding her assent.

"Not a chance." Tony grinned. "I'm to be a grandfather, again, after all. I wouldn't miss that for the world. Not to worry, This family is just getting started." Then he signaled and a half dozen security types surrounded the five  before taking positions all around them. Satisfied with that arrangement, Tony began giving instructions:  "Rex, come with me, Cassie, I dare say you're needed backstage. Lucas, I don't think I need ask you to stay with your family."

"I'll be right here. But don't leave me out ..."

"But that is exactly what Sami and I need you to do." Tony said in a tone that allowed for no debate. "Stay out of the fray. Do I have your word?"

"Yes, sir." Lucas said, sounding and looking dejected.

"Lucas, you heard what I said a moment ago. This is why we're here. This is what matters most. Not all our playing toy soldiers with a pair of bloody handed lunatics. I shouldn't need to tell you this."

"You don't." Lucas nodded. "I never really liked playing soldier anyway." He sat down next to Sami as Tony and the twins walked away.

"You've got too soft a heart for that, General." Sami smiled, taking his hand. "Lucas, I know you want to be part of this. But Tony's right. He knows I'd go nuts over here if you were in harms way."

"Sami, until those two are down for good, we're all in harm's way. That's why I asked you to stay upstairs."

"And that's why I couldn't. Lucas, the last thing any of you need is an hysterical, hyperventilating pregnant woman barging into the middle of a firefight, if that's what's going to happen. Think about it." Sami said and began to laugh, nervously.

"That would be something to see." Lucas agreed. "So, we'll stay right here, and both of us will practice deep, cleansing breaths. Right?"

"Very right. Lucas, look at me." Sami asked. "We've come so far in less than two years. And it was hard enough just to get through to myself that I wanted us back, that I missed us, I love you, Lucas Roberts, and I didn't propose to you to see it all get blown away, now."

"Lucas Brady-Roberts." he corrected her softly, holding up his left hand, for her to see the ring she gave him.

"Sami Brady-Roberts," she laughed, "Pleased to meet you." Then she leaned in and claimed his mouth in a kiss before he could turn somber again.

"Sami," he protested, "in case you didn't notice we're being watched, here."

"No, we're being guarded here," Sami grinned "And ask me if I care." she teased and reached for him again.They were still kissing when the audience for the finale of BBI Design's presentation were filing into their seats. And after a couple of deep, shaken breaths, still kissing when the lights and music came up on the stage and catwalk a few yards away. For the next hour, nothing that Kate, Belle, Cassie, Billie and Sami hadn't planned on was seen or heard in the auditorium. Spring into summer fashions were modeled by all the women, and a great many of the men of Salem. The only difference between this and other shows was that security had excluded any flash cameras, any camcorders or digitals were being thoroughly checked before they were allowed in.

Billie, Maggie, Carly, Mimi, Liz and Laura, Anna, Julie, Chloe, Nancy with Joy firmly in hand, and Celeste, Kim, Jeannie and Stephany, Kayla, and a somewhat reluctant Isabella walked up and down in sheer, glowing colors and subtle tones. Phillip, Mike, Doug, Shawn, Nicholas, Mickey, Brady, Craig, John and Rex were a handsome, if somewhat reduced male contingent, in very complimentary neutrals. And in a clever touch, the security team Kate had mentioned earlier walked along with the models, ten lithe young women and sixteen athletically built men in total. But they were all waiting for something more than the enthusiastic approval of their guests. And it finally came. With a muffled cry, followed by a furious demand for silence, Kate, Cassie, Billie and Belle were led out onstage, against their will. Lawrence, Rosa and two accomplices no one recognized were holding each woman by their throat, with a blade poised in deadly fashion.

"Alamain!" John shouted angrily, and looked ready to rush the younger man, but allowed himself to be held back..

"You think you're running this show, brother?" Lawrence sneered. "Well, think again. You and your family, all of your families are going to pay dearly for destroying mine. Did you really think I was done with you? No, not now and not ever. You were so clever, John, guarding the models that you forgot to guard the bitches who seem to mean something to you."

"Cousin," Tony said, stepping out of the crowd, his eyes locked on Cassie and Kate the danger they were in. "Haven't you already killed and injured enough of people who can't really fight back? What satisfaction can you get from killing women and children? Or is it just something in your bloodline that makes it so much easier for you? A strain of brutality, or is it just a long, long tradition of cowardice?"

Alamain laughed harshly. "That's rich coming from you, cousin. Stefano's first born calling me brutal? And as for cowardice, how many times have you run from your own heritage, Count? And it seems to me that my accomplice and I managed to take down a few of the fine men of Salem, including the one who never stopped trying to steal my wife!"

"You're wrong, Lawrence." Carly Manning told him, walking directly up to face the man with whom she shared her only child. "Bo Brady died last summer because he refused to stop working to find and save as many of your wished for victims as he could. I know this for a fact because his wife and sons let me share their grief for his death and their pride in his life. And you're right; part of me never stopped loving a courageous, even reckless man who wanted only to give me his own wounded heart and a share in his life. I'm not ashamed of that, anymore than any woman here is ashamed of loving. Its the best and strongest gift we have.

But you wouldn't know about that. I thought once that you did, but you don't. You only know about pretense, sham about power and greed, the worst kind of greed, the kind that makes you want to own another soul. You can't do that, No one can."

"That's not so, Caterina and you know it." Lawrence said with an unexpected flash of lucidity in his dark eyes. "Because you stole mine, years ago."

"That would have been about the same time you deceived me and left me alone to carry my son? Well, believe me, if I felt there was any part of your soul in my hands right now, I'd tear it into a thousand pieces for you. I want no part of you and neither does .."

"Mother, wait." Nicholas called out, shrugging off those who would hold him back.

"Nikky," Alamain and Carly said together, with the same longing tone. But their tall, elegantly handsome son shook his head and went on walking up to face his father. Those who were in position to see said that the younger man's gaze was as fiery as the older man's was cold.

"I'm too old to let my parents speak for me, not the one I love with all my heart, and not the one I once thought I wanted to be when I grew up. In the past few years though, I learned better. I traveled, I observed and I met an amazing group  of people who don't think the world belongs to them to grasp and to crush at their will.

And I watched my mother's heart break a hundred times because she'd made a choice she couldn't take back for years. So this is what I want you to know. My mother ran away to Paris, to escape a plan for her life so medieval I almost don't believe it could happen. She met an older man there who charmed her and courted her and lied to get her into his bed. She struggled through a difficult pregnancy with the help of another false friend. Between those two the lies were enough to keep us apart for nearly ten years. She fled Europe and found a home and work that made her feel wanted and needed again. And she changed her name, because she wanted to forget her past and leave it behind."

"Son, I really don't think your supposed friends here are going to give either of us time to finish this history lesson." Alamain laughed coldly.

"You don't get it, It is finished. Here and now, I was born out of wedlock and fathered by a man whose surname my mother didn't know. So, as from today, I have no father, and my name is Manning, Nicholas Ivan Manning. Deal with it. And while you're at it, let my friends and their friends off your enemies list. No one of them ever harmed you or me nearly as much as we hurt them."

Nicholas turned his head to wink at Kate, and then to Billie mouthing just two words 'I'm sorry', And then, from where she sat, Sami was sure he nodded ever so slightly to her and Lucas.

"Lucas, that's it!" Sami whispered, pulling his ear close to her lips. "Nikky knows we're over here, but Alamain doesn't! Let's go!"

"Sami, Tony will take my head off with his bare hands if .."

"Tony will not thank us if we let those lunatics kill your mother and our sisters, and neither will Mike, Phillip or Andrew."

Lucas looked at his bride of five months and suddenly the worry in his eyes was replaced by a smirk.

"That's my girl." he chuckled softly, nodding to their security unit. "Let's get this show on the road, partners."

Sami's agility had been amazing Lucas for months, but today, he considered, she was outdoing even herself. They moved, hand in hand closer by the moment to the panels that blocked the audience view of backstage. Once in place, they caught the glances of  Mike, Phillip Shawn, Hope, Andrew, John and Tony across the way. Ranged near them were Rex, Mimi, Anna and the rest, all at a cautious distance from the eight figures at center stage

.

All they needed now was a distraction, and Billie Reed provided it, crying out: "Now!" as she elbowed her captor and kicked him twice with perfectly aimed precision. In seconds, Nicholas had kicked that first knife out of the way, and turned his well-trained fists on the man holding Kate, expertly freeing her from Lawrence to run to Tony's arms. Tutored by John, Phillip, Hope and Billie earlier, Cassie and Belle both now showed amazing calm and strength, kicking Rosa's feet out from under her and knocking the last enemy to the floor together. At first it seemed no one was seriously hurt, but then Cassie tottered towards her father and brother, violently sick. Rosa Adriana Lenouri lay where she had fallen, on the vicious blade she had been holding to Belle's throat, only moments before.

But it wasn't over, the last man down, ignored for the blink of an eye as the captives were gathered into their family and friend's arms, began to stand up and reach for his weapon once more. Sami looked around behind the flat they were next to, and grinned. Reaching down she handed Lucas roll of canvass almost as heavy as a baseball bat. Lucas grinned widely and hefted the makeshift missile as if about to lob a game winning run over left field. Instead, he threw the canvass roll, and crowed as it connected solidly with that man's outstretched arm.

"That's my guy." Sami laughed, and hurried onto the stage with everyone else.

Mike and Laura were kneeling next to Rosa, while Kate clung to Phillip and Tony, and when she saw him, reached for Lucas. Hope and Billie stood clutching Mike's shoulders and letting their tears finally overflow. Belle was sitting next to her red-headed sister, wiping her face, while Rex encouraging Cassie to sip at a cup of water. And Nicholas was holding Carly close, as they watched Lawrence being carried away, his jaw swollen and probably broken.

Sami stood still a moment and felt the scene shift, but not as it had the day before. Instead, she seemed to see the stage becoming more crowded by the moment, with not only the people who had won the fight today, but the sun-bright forms of those they had fought for. Alice Horton, her arm linked with Tom's walked easily among them. Bo Brady's trademark grin blazed, as his arms seemed to encircle Hope and Shawn. Sandy Horton and her uncle Bill, with his daughter Jenn and granddaughter Abby stood like starry shields around Mike and Laura. And for a split second, Sami was sure she saw Jack Deveraux, winking at her with his blue eyes shining. Roman Brady was even closer to her, and silently gave her a thumbs up, but seemed to be sharing a private joke with Caroline and Shawn. Sami turned, bewildered, to see Neil Curtis hovering over Liz and Noelle, While Nicole Kiriakis seemed to be walking down the catwalk on Austin's and Eric's arms, she stopped, to place a weightless kiss on first Lucas' then Victor's faces.

But nothing she was 'seeing' surprised Sami more than a glowing figure who couldn't be anyone but Lexie Carver, hesitatingly laying a hand on Celeste's shoulder, as her mother turned with a glad cry. This spirit's eyes were familiarly large and dark, but held an unalterable sadness Sami never remembered seeing there. Now a breeze that couldn't exist inside the auditorium brushed by Sami then and whispered her name. Sami turned again, and her eyes brimmed over. Marlena Evans was leaning on John's arm, as she had so often in life, but holding out her other hand to her oldest daughter. Her bright glance seemed to rest for a moment on Sami's wedding ring and then move to the obvious change in Sami's shape and size, bringing the smile that had warmed her daughter's childhood memories. Unable to speak aloud, past the ache in her throat, Sami nodded, and held up two fingers.

And now, unmistakably she heard Marlena's voice, clear as a bell. 'Hey, Timmy, Tim's a great name, it was my uncle's, Hey Tonia, I think that's the perfect name for you, too. Its grandma, Twinners, and I love you and your big brother, and your folks so much! Sami, you make my heart soar. You always have.' Then she laid a gentle hand over Sami's heart, and nodded, sure the gesture was understood.

"Sami," Lucas quietly called to her. "Uh.. Sami?"

"Sami, its over. Relax, Okay?" Kate said, peering at her.

"Samantha, what were you looking at just then?" Celeste asked, with a look on her face that clearly said she knew.

"Hey, sis!" Billie called, leaning on Mike. "My guy just worked a miracle on that sad creature. She might just pull through."

"No," Mike shook his head, "It wasn't me, or Mom. We shouldn't have been able to stop the bleeding. I honestly don't know what did. But she won't die, now."

"I've come to believe she was very nearly as much a victim in all this as we were." Tony added.

"She was caught in her father's madness," John suggested, walking up, "And Lawrence only made it worse. Hey, Twinner, how're you doing?"

Sami shook her head as the brightness that had surrounded all of them faded.

"I'm great, John, I'm really great. And I have something important to do before we go home. Gosh, doesn't that sound fabulous ... go home? Anyway, if you will spare me a minute, I want to say I'm so glad to be here with you, and I'd like to introduce you to a couple of small people you will all get to baby-sit in the near future." Getting the laugh she wanted and tapping her expanding stomach, Sami said, "Salem, I'd like you to meet Timothy Evans Brady-Roberts, and his sister Antonia Elisabeth, the next generation of Brady twins."

Another beginning.


End file.
